Bear the Weight
by cultureandseptember
Summary: SI/OC. They say that storytellers are the backbone of society. How a story is told, by whom, and for what purpose, changes the way it impacts those who hear it. We are nothing but stories. Akimichi Miho is a storyteller, and she's pretty sure she's heard this story before. Maybe, in this telling, she'll change a few of the details.
1. Part I: Narrative Hook

She was covered with the dust of books, a film of grit lying like a second-skin over her exposed arms and hands. It was oddly comforting, a shield against the outside world. She practically bled ink and she smelled of aged paper, stale yet inviting. It was her natural state. At the nearby work station, bits of paper were strewn about almost like confetti after a village parade. It was a showcase of her profession, of everything she ever worked for.

While the ninjas had their throwing stars and kunai, she—Okuda Chisato, that is—had books and paper. And it was clear, through the meticulous methodical organization of those archives, that she was truly dedicated to her vocation. It has been said that only insanity or love could lead to that kind of careful cataloguing.

Perhaps it was more the latter.

Who could say for sure?

The items contained within that archive were commonplace, for the most part. They were mission reports, missives from the capital, and a whole lot of clan histories. Most of those histories had been collected by Chisato herself in her bid to protect the oral storytelling of her village. They were carefully handled, painstakingly transcribed and recorded by hand. They were nearly all written in her formal script, preserved for the ages. By her estimate, there were over three hundred recorded stories in that particular section of the archive alone.

That number was growing every day.

The permanent ink stains on her fingers were evidence of her constant struggle toward the maintained literary heritage of the village.

She was an archivist, a librarian, a researcher.

It was said that Okuda Chisato "bled ink."

Like authors keep bits of paper with frivolous notes, Chisato kept each piece of paper that was provided by the donors. Every letter of eviction, every love note with sweet nothings scribbled during spare moments. Some were from the battlefields of the Second and Third Great Ninja War. Some from the founding of the village itself. Especially the love notes. Always the love notes. She kept everything she possibly could. Such was her conviction. There was no such thing as an 'unimportant' document. All of it contained a story to be told.

That was her upmost belief.

Every person holds a story.

As she was reaching for a file at the crest of the bookshelf, she felt a cool hand rest upon her shoulder. Chisato let out a yelp of surprise. So lonely was the job of the village archivist that she _rarely_ received visitors. And she was no kunoichi, so she had not sensed the presence of another person in the room until it was too late. The hand pushed her back down while another reached up to grab the file with ease.

When she turned, she was face-to-face with her husband. She was tall for a woman, thick and solidly built. She stood eye-to- eye with him, something that he loved. Despite his impressive muscles and his meaty presence, she did not cower. She instead puffed out her chest. "You scared the daylights me, Keisuke!"

"Sorry, sorry." He chuckled. "You know, you'd have to_ see_ daylight every once and awhile to know what it is."

She never could quite understand what he found funny most of the time. He was just naturally happy and cheerful. His endearing smile rarely left his face. It was a permanent fixture, a constant. As constant as the trees around the village. Even at the young age of twenty-five, he had laugh lines that patterned his face. Many of his friends and family said that he was the "happiest man alive." He often attributed that to his sweet wife.

She knew he had been happy since birth and never fell for the endearments.

Whenever that easy grin departed though, she always knew that the situation was dire. When he handed her the file, his crinkled eyes glanced downward. His expression grew a tad more serious. "You should be more careful in your condition, Chisato. You're already going against the doc's orders. This is about as far from 'taking it easy' as one can get, you know?"

Chisato gave him a look and he immediately held up both hands in surrender. He nervously laughed off her glare, one of his hands reached up to tug at the lobe of his ear. It had always been his nervous habit, tugging at that meaty part of his right ear. Running her tongue along her teeth, the archivist shifted her heavy weight from one leg to the other.

No matter how she stood, her body was uncomfortable. Her lower back ached terribly. Her feet throbbed from her almost-constant standing and she could feel the child within her moving around. It seemed the child would be like her father, enthusiastic by nature. When she ran her hand over the thin fabric that rested over her stretched skin, she could feel feet pressed against her palm. There was a distinct pressure in her pelvis, which she had been ignoring all day.

She was thirty-three weeks along.

"Do you have a _reason_ for coming down here, Keisuke? Not that I don't love seeing you, sweetheart, but you hate it down here." She maneuvered herself around him, brushing against his thigh as she did so. He laughed at her cheeky smile. "You do not normally brave the catacombs in the middle of the day, if you can help it." She glanced back and her gaze skittered over his attire.

Light gray flak jacket, form-fitting clothing that helped with his infiltration missions. Metal arm guards rested over his forearms. His mask was hooked onto his belt, a Bear peering back at her with intimidating red and brown markings. Her lips pursed and she turned back toward the work station. She nervously set about fiddling with the papers that rested there. That mask of his always made her uneasy.

"I didn't expect you to come by while you're on duty."

"I received a mission today." There was a sudden and undeniable weight in his voice and the air in the archive seemed to shift. Chisato felt a chill run down her spine. Her husband rarely used that tone of voice. She slipped the file onto the desk and waited for the inevitable. She was far from uninformed and she was _far_ from ignorant. She knew what mission he had been assigned. She just prayed against reason that she was wrong. "Minato requested that I serve as a guard. Tonight."

And there it was.

Chisato turned on her heel and forced down her instinctual reaction.

If she were any_ less_ of a person, she might've told him to deny the Hokage his wishes.

If she understood her husband a little less, she would have shook her head and told him that he had to look after his own family.

After all, his child was due to arrive in only a few weeks.

What if something went wrong? What if he never got to see his baby?

However, Okuda Chisato knew the situation and she knew her husband. It was his duty to protect the Hokage and the Hokage's kin. It was Keisuke's duty to protect Kushina and her as of yet unborn child. From that alone, it was _her—_Chisato's—duty to support her husband in that mission, by any means necessary. Even if she felt it was too dangerous. Even if she wanted to keep him to herself. It was her role as the wife of a ninja. Her hands fisted at her sides and she nodded her head. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Keisuke shook his head and the room seemed to grow even heavier. "It's my squad that's been called as guards. Minato knows he can trust us beyond all others. We're the first line of defense." His fingers fiddled with the mask on his hip. Chisato glanced to his shoulder, becoming entranced by the swirling tattoo that rested there on his thick bicep. She could remember when he got that tattoo, when she had traced her fingers over it in bed the following morning. He was so proud of his promotion. He was so proud to serve the Hokage—No, not just the Hokage. Okuda Keisuke was proud to serve _Minato_.

They called him "Captain" due to his experience in the field and he took his role seriously. He was well-respected. Earned his position through hard work and gumption. Years and years of missions, and now, he would be leading one of his most perilous tasks yet. And there was nothing she could do but support him. Nothing she could do. A thrill of fear lurched in her stomach and she thought she would throw up. Her hand absent-mindedly fell to her belly.

"You should go to the compound," Keisuke said after a moment. "There's no guarantee that things will be safe, you know? We both know how disastrous this could be." The threat went unspoken, but Chisato knew better than most what would happen if the demon got free of its bonds within Kushina. Oh, she was_ far_ from uninformed. She had seen such things before, the disasters that followed the loosing of the titans. "If you go to the compound, you should be safe. Besides, I would bet that Chōza would like to see you. We haven't had time to go to dinner lately."

In the blink of an eye, an arm was wrapped around her shoulders as he stood behind her, his other hand snaked down to rest on her stomach. She leant her head back against his shoulder. Something in her felt ill, sick. She worried that this would be the last time she would be held by him. She wondered if this would be the last time she would feel the warmth of him behind her. "Look—Look out for them, Keisuke. Minato has his hands full." She turned her head and pressed her lips against his cheek. She spoke as calmly as possible. "I am with you. Always."

"Love you," he murmured in return. He pressed his lips to the swirling pattern on her cheek and then, quite suddenly, Chisato was alone in the archives once more. He was fast, impossibly fast. For a single moment, she regretted that she never became a ninja like her brother. If she had, maybe she could have done something more.

The strength in her body seemed to leave her and she stumbled over to a nearby chair. It let out a metallic wail as she fell into it, her head was held in her hands. To herself and to the stories that surrounded her, she let out her worry in tearful gasps. Somehow, Chisato knew that she would never see her husband again.

Call it intuition.

Call it foreboding.

A pain erupted in her stomach then and she sucked in a gasp, hands flying down to rest on the lower side of her pregnant belly. Her thickly shaped brows pulled together as she held her breath. It was impossible. Too impossible. She sucked in a gasp as it throbbed.

She was only at thirty-three weeks.

It was too early.

Another cramp made her shudder and Chisato's eyes went wide with realization. Taking a big gulp of air, she glanced around to the scroll that she kept for emergencies. It sat at the far edge of the workstation table. Her gaze skittered toward the elevator and stairwell entrance.

There was no way that she would make it up the archive stairs and she felt certain that she would be unable to stand with the intensity of the pain. The elevator was too far away. Gritting her teeth, she flailed her hand toward the scroll—her fingers scraping against the red and green parchment.

Grunting, she extended herself a little further and was able to wrap her fingers around it. Her shaking hands set to untying the knot and she let the scroll fall to the floor. There was a small explosion of smoke.

It was Keisuke's summons. An emergency scroll. The Bears protect their own. The fluttering of wings could be heard before Chisato felt the world begin to tunnel. Her heart felt as if it were beating at twice the speed it should have been.

Thirty-three weeks.

Early.

Too early.

"Shinrin," she wheezed. The pain was growing too quickly.

What if she couldn't get to the hospital in time? She was meant to go to the compound, to see her brother and his family. To be secure with them until her husband returned from his mission. What about— She grimaced, trying not to bite her tongue as the pain lanced up from between her legs.

The baby— coming. Now. Too soon. Far too soon. She couldn't feel her legs. "Shinrin…" No! She couldn't let this happen. She was stronger than this. She would have to fight it, fight until she could get to the hospital.

It was _so sudden_.

The small bear pawed at her shoulder. Its head flicked to the right and the left, gray fur catching the lights. "Lady Chisato! What's wrong? Where is Lord Keisuke?"

"G-Get someone. A-Anyone. Please."

The cub ran.

* * *

The night was warm and humid, strange weather for October. Such an atmosphere had ANBU Bear on edge. He wasn't concerned so much with the goings-on inside the cave. That much would be in the trusted hands of the Hokage, Lady Biwako, and Taji. He had no doubts that Minato would do everything in his power to see the birth (and the seal) safely through. Not only that, Kushina was far too stubborn to die during childbirth. Still, he would be lying if he said the screaming didn't leave him wincing on the inside. Outwardly, though, he was completely emotionless—as any good ANBU should be during a mission. An errant thought made him wonder if his wife would cry out like that. He would never be able to bear his Chisato screaming like that.

It was the only thing that he was dreading about becoming a father—the pain that Chisato would have to endure.

Jumping onto a rock outcropping below, he dropped into a crouch. "Sense anything, Jackal?" All wayward thoughts of his little family were pushed from his mind.

"Negative." The ANBU subordinate responded, glancing toward the squad leader. "Orders?"

Bear stood up and glanced about at the dark scenery. It had been an hour since he had sent Stag to run the perimeter. Considering that man's Swift Release, he should've been back long ago. "I want you to run the perimeter. Keep yourself well hidden, Jackal, and see if you can find Stag while you're at it." The white-haired ANBU disappeared. Bear glanced back toward the three other ANBU under his command. One stood atop the pagoda, acting as a lookout. Hyuuga's always had been good for that position. Two others flanked the entrance.

A new—even more pained—scream rang through the air. Sighing, he turned back around and looked out at the forest. It was lucky that he had placed a barrier of silence over the entire two kilometer radius. Anyone with ears would be able to find them otherwise.

Hell, Iwagakure would be able to hear that kind of noise.

Yes, he hoped Chisato wouldn't scream like that.

He could handle a lot of terrifying things, usually with a smile on his face. But he certainly couldn't deal with that. And his wife would want him with her at the birthing.

Several minutes passed without incident, but it was that very silence that had Bear feeling even more uneasy. Once again, he pushed the thoughts of his wife from his mind. He was being extremely unprofessional this evening. Maybe, just maybe, it was the feeling in the air. That tenseness that promised disaster. When he was younger, Bear's father had taught him a parable about such atmospheres: _You must be aware, son, that it is often that from the calmest weather that the fiercest storms arise. _The air was too still, too calm. Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

His head snapped fifteen degrees to the right. There it was. He could sense it.

"On alert." He stated in a low voice. The ANBU stationed behind him tensed at the sudden order. "Chakra presence in the tree line. My two o'clock." It was such a small amount of chakra that one might have overlooked it as an animal at first. Perhaps it was a signature meant to be overlooked. The kind adopted by infiltrators and spies. The feeling of it however, was so sinister that it inspired waking nightmares. Killing Intent. It left as quickly as it came, but it would've had any other shinobi shaking in their combat gear.

ANBU Bear was no other shinobi. He didn't quiver. He just continued to stare in the direction of where the signature had last been felt. It appeared again and again, dancing all about the tree line. Bear fisted his hands at his sides.

"He's toying with us." Wolf commented, darkness dancing around his feet. "I can feel him in the shadows. He's waiting for us to make the first move."

"Do not leave your posts." Bear ordered in response. "Under no circumstances are you to allow this enemy to pass. Am I understood?" He shifted his weight, ready for whatever came out of the woodwork. With a smooth motion, he withdrew his short sword and prepared for an incoming attack. "I warn you. Leave this place at once. You will only receive one warning."

A figure stepped out of the shadows. Those shadows, under the direct control of Wolf, tried to keep him from moving. They were shaken off like nothing. This made a lance of uncertainty cut through Bear's chest like a kunai. Wolf, otherwise known as Nara Shikaru, was one of the most powerful Naras the village had to offer. Perhaps the smartest as well, apart from his brother, Shikaku. For Wolf to lose control like that, the enemy's power must have been unbelievable. The clouds above moved just enough to allow moonlight down on the scene. Wolf's shadows faded away.

The man was masked, wearing a black cloak that hid his body. A hood covered the back of his head. Only one eye could be seen. That eye gleamed in the shimmering moonlight, a menacing red color. Bear recognized it immediately, of course. Anyone would recognize that eye. An Uchiha. Behind his back, the squad leader signaled in code for the others. _Level Four—Hostile. Extreme caution._

"I will ask you once. Will you please move aside?" Such manners didn't seem to fit the situation. It was like the cat before the fish, one can never let their guard down in the presence of a known threat. When the ANBU guards did not move, the masked man shrugged. "So be it then."

"Wolf, Bull. Maintain positions. You know what to do." The formation changed as he ordered it. One of those under his command dropped down to the water in front of him. "Cougar." The ANBU Cougar charged.

The battle lasted less than ten seconds. Really, it couldn't be called a battle. It shook Bear to the very core. To see Cougar, who was the best taijutsu specialist in the village, taken out with one single punch to the chest? Frightening didn't even begin to describe the terror that he felt. A friend of nearly ten years had just been killed in front of him in the most brutal way a man could be murdered. Hyuuga Hotaka's heart was thrown toward the forest for the animals to eat. His body dropped into the shallow water at the edge of the bank, blood diffusing in the lapping water. Bear didn't even want to think of the man's family, of his younger brothers.

Wiping his hand off, the masked-man shook his head. "And this is the extent of Konoha's premier ANBU? Such a disgrace."

Bull started forward, but Bear held out a hand. "No, don't fall for the bait."

"Captain—"

His attention went to the observing enemy nin. "You killed Stag and Jackal?" The opponent did not answer. Confirmation. Three of the best ANBU within less than an hour? Three of his good friends gone in such a short amount of time. This man was S-ranked or worse. The newly gleaned information did not bode well. With a hand signal, he motioned for Bull to warn the Hokage.

Before the larger ANBU could even turn to do so, the unknown ninja appeared in front of him. Bear started toward the defense of his friend, but the very fabric of reality seemed to bend. Bull disappeared a moment later and the swirling of reality was pulled back into the mask. It was frightening, sickening. Space-Time was under this man's control. That could mean only one thing. Bear just prayed he wasn't right about his guess. When Bull was spat back out again, his body was mangled and torn. It was almost as if Akimichi Daiki's skin had been peeled off, leaving only his muscles visible. It did not bear looking at. Bear steeled himself as he did during times of war.

War.

He felt sick.

Bull had been his cousin by marriage.

That man had been family.

"Who are you?" The ANBU Captain questioned, slowly collapsing the silence barrier. If he could negate it entirely, then the Hokage would hear the proceedings outside of the cave. He could get some warning before all hell broke loose. He wondered though if Minato would be able to hear anything with Kushina's screams covering the sound of battle. Best to bide his time. "You're stronger than anyone I've ever encountered. That's saying something. I've fought some pretty impressive enemies."

"Mm, a compliment." The man said in a pleasant tone. "I thank you, Okuda. If you step aside, I will not kill you forthwith."

Bear snorted, trying to hide his lurch of raw fear. He, being a shinobi, was well-aware of his own limitations. True enough, he was an expert in his skill set. He was able enough to rise to the rank of ANBU Captain, something that had been preached as "impossible" since his childhood. Okuda Keisuke was no pushover though. He was strong in his own right, but he also knew a lost cause when he saw one, especially one that put his own limits to the test. Still, that didn't give him any doubt in his words as he spoke them.

There was one man that he would give his life to protect above all others and, at that moment, Bear knew that he was the only thing keeping that man and his family safe. If he failed in his duty to protect the Hokage, he would never forgive himself.

"I'd rather die than betray my Hokage to the likes of you," Bear growled. He prepared himself for an attack, crouching into his particular taijutsu stance. His knees bent and his elbows rose.

The masked man shrugged again. "That can be arranged, too."

Muttering under his breath, he turned to share one last look with Wolf—Shikaru. Back in the day, they had been teammates. It seemed that they were finally going to die together.

"Hold him off as long as you can, Wolf. Die trying. Do not help me. Those are direct orders."

_I wish you the best._

Nodding, the Nara positioned himself directly underneath the pagoda, the last line of defense.

"Tch, you don't need to tell me that, Bear."

_Good luck, my friend._

Stepping forward, the Okuda tried to keep the negative thoughts from his mind. Inside, his best friend—for that was what Minato was to him— was becoming a father. Kushina was suffering through what had to be a terrible birth. If the roles were reversed and he were the one with a birthing wife, Minato would have done the same. He would have given anything to protect those important to him. Little Naruto should be welcomed into the world by both of his parents, not by some psycho with a mask. If it took his life to see that through, then it was a duty he accepted. No matter the cost.

A hand extended outward, tossing the sword he held away. Kenjutsu was not his strong point, never had been. There would be no sense in wasting time with it. His skill lied mainly in ninjutsu. He would use that to hold off his enemy. Launching into a series of complicated hand-seals, he dropped the silence barrier entirely. The wind began to twist and crackle with energy as he prepared. Over Kushina's screams, he doubted the sounds could be heard. It was the best he could do.

His arm blocked a quick blow and he leapt to the side, avoiding every hit that the man aimed. Once he had the masked-man far enough from the cave entrance, he made a dragon seal.

Out of the clouds above, a column of clouds and wind dropped over the opponent. With quick motions, Bear threw over one hundred kunai into the swirling vortex. It was his deadliest attack and the most expensive in terms of chakra.

The masked-nin looked unruffled as the tornado died away. "Storm Release, eh? How quaint." In a fluid movement, Bear was knocked backward, splashing into the thin water. He couldn't even figure out how he had been hit. The movements were just too quick. It was disorienting. Especially since he often sparred with Minato. This man would give even the Hokage a run for his money. Maybe even a run for his life? No, Bear wouldn't allow that to happen. "You're brave. I'll give you that much. If a little reckless—"

Grinning, though the man couldn't see it, Bear pushed himself up and leapt away into a graceful backflip. Underneath the water, where he had laid just moment before, the rocks began to glove a faint red color. As the tags exploded, the fabric of reality ripped open again and swallowed what would have been a massive blast. Nearly seventy explosive tags and there was not a sound issued. The man must've realized that the barrier of silence was gone. Bear cursed to himself and readied for another attack. The masked man only turned slightly to face him before blinking out of existence.

Performing another dragon seal, Bear avoided a killing blow to the chest with a quick sidestep. His fingers twisted into various seals and water shot up into the air as a wall rose from the ground. It was another barrier, on that blocked ANBU Wolf from view, as well as the cave in which his friends were located. It was like a black and crimson veil had been dropped over the scene. That barrier was his strongest on hand and Bear could feel the cost of it in his chakra reserves. He was starting to get weaker and weaker.

So many years he had striven to become a good ninja warrior—a good, skillful shinobi.

Was this the extent of all that work?

Could he not even save his friends?

What about Chisato? What would become of her if this masked man released the Kyuubi?

"You are quite skilled with barrier techniques. Something learned, perhaps? Cannot say I'm surprised."

He felt something hit his chest suddenly and he was tossed backward, tumbling over the water to make sudden contact with the newly-formed barrier. It shattered like thin ice and he careened about thirty feet beyond a silent Wolf. A stray thought occurred to him then. His barrier would not weaken like that unless…Unless…He weakly forced himself into a standing position and appeared in front of Wolf again with a flicker. That blow had been mortal, he realized. He could feel it now. His body's senses were catching up with the injury. He was on borrowed time. Not much longer.

Minutes, perhaps. Only minutes.

His arms began to tingle, a chill settling in his toes. His fingertips…he couldn't feel them.

"You're still standing." The masked man observed, sounding vaguely impressed. "That is quite a feat, Okuda. You should be proud. You are either strong or stubborn."

Both.

Bear was fighting to remain conscious and upright. If he failed in this mission, even the genius Nara wouldn't stand a chance to hold this enemy off, and then Minato and his family would be in danger. They would be completely helpless to an attack. To his last breath, Bear steeled himself, he would protect his friends. Minato had saved his life more times than he could count. This time, he would return the favor. Gathering his chakra, the ANBU Captain prepared for one last push, one last ditch effort. His lips curled up into a smile and he forced out a chuckle. That son of a bitch had no idea what was coming his way. After all, he didn't earn his rank as an ANBU for nothing. He had worked hard to _earn_ that position.

If anything, Bear—Okuda Keisuke, that is—knew he was going to go down fighting. He'd fight to his final breath.

That was his Will of Fire.

With a speed that only a desperate man could possess, he sealed his clan's most powerful technique. "Good luck, Wolf." The Nara nodded and the sequence was complete. The rush of wind raced outward from the Okuda, effectively pushing the masked attacker out and away from the cave with a reddish-purple energy. Lightning crackled with it. Overhead, thunderclouds swirled ominously. This was the pinnacle of his strength, his last attempt to protect his Hokage.

Somewhere in his mind, he wondered if history would remember him.

He knew that it wouldn't.

History never remembers the unnamed soldiers.

Bear fell to his knees, shame cutting through him like a blade. He didn't have the strength. The water splashed with the sudden impact of his collapsing body. Like a sling-shot, the technique collapsed inward. Bear fell forward onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily. He had always dreaded the day when he would hear his own death rattle, the sound of blood in his lungs.

He never thought he would die like this—at the hands of such a nemesis. The evil chakra appeared right before him, but the energy to fight was no longer in him. He had nothing left, no energy to keep fighting. One of the downsides to such a powerful attack, it drained too much chakra.

A foot came out of nowhere, kicking him from the water into the air. And the masked man jumped up with him. With one glowing hand, Bear's stomach was punctured. The same hand, in rapid succession, hit several of his vital organs. He was repeatedly stabbed. He could feel bits of himself being pulled away with each jab. Never had he believed he would die in battle. Foolishly optimistic. That's what Minato had always said. Still, Bear thought he would live to see his own grandchildren someday. Finally, the hand was withdrawn from his right lung. A moment later, he fell back to Earth.

He didn't even feel it when his body hit the water.

Somewhere in the mist, he could hear his final barrier seal being broken. It caused his body to lurch as blood flooded the back of his throat. Wolf was completely open to attack. Bear could hear the Nara fighting with all he had—trying to keep the opponent at bay. Shikaru…His last living teammate…With as much strength as he could muster, he rolled to his stomach and tried to move toward the fight. There was a last ditch effort. The masked man had Wolf by the throat.

Then, everything went eerily silent.

His head fell forward into the water and he felt himself somewhere else, distant.

Everything seemed…

He prayed that Minato and his family would survive, that he wouldn't meet them in the afterlife too soon. He prayed for his wife, that she would survive with their baby, who was due in a month's time. His little Miho, his little sweetheart. He'd never get to see her.

He hoped she looked like her mother.

A smile pulled at his lips, but he was too weak to sustain it.

He heard an infant's cry and the world went black.

* * *

The hospital was in disarray, absolute chaos. There was an overflow of critical injuries, far too many for the hospital to manage. Triage was set up in the emergency room and an overflow was set up in the evacuation facilities. Hospital staff had never seen such a large scale disaster and many were unpracticed, fresh medic-nins who had never truly seen such widespread devastation.

The traumatic injuries were disturbing to even the most experienced of doctors—missing limbs, blast-like injuries, partially torn bodies, and crushed bodies. Some were deemed lost causes, as is natural for any sort of triage situation. Whole families had been killed, entire clans wiped out of existence.

In a small corner of that overrun hospital, a little infant girl lay alone in a tiny bed. Her eyes were closed and her chest struggled to rise and fall. Her skin was a pale pinkish color, thin brown hair peeking from under her light pink toboggan. The bed was covered by a plastic dome-like structure, something that was placed half-hazard over the little baby to keep her warm and to keep the air oxygen rich. The sounds of the world, of the chaos outside, felt distant there. It was the best the doctors could do in the middle of a crisis.

A nurse entered into the dark room, holding the door open for a man as he stepped inside. Light and sound filtered into the room from the tumultuous hallway. His expression was grim as he looked to the woman who lay still in the large bed at the center of the room. Her limbs were lying at her sides, her hair still matted to her forehead from the stress of labor. He could still see ink stains on her fingers from her work in the archives. The distinctive swirl markings of his clan tinted her cheeks.

The man's exhausted gaze lingered on the eerily still form of his sister, a sick feeling entering his stomach. She was too young to die, only twenty-two. Two years younger than him.

His baby sister, _dead_.

She had been dead for hours, he realized. She had died _alone_.

Nothing set him more on edge than that nauseating realization. Chisato had died alone. He couldn't imagine her pain or her fear. Giving birth in the middle of a disaster—premature at that.

She had to be so scared.

A high-pitched fussing sound caught his attention and he turned slightly to see a small bed in the corner of the room. His breath caught. How could they—"You…You left the baby here?" He strode over to where the infant was housed, his large hands rising up to rest on the plastic dome. It was a little girl. They had been intending to keep the gender a secret until the birth. It was meant to be a happy occasion. The little girl squirmed, little swirls evident on her cheeks. A sad smile pulled at his lips. She took after her mother. "You left her with her d-dead mother? For _how long_?"

"We… had no choice. Okuda Chisato died just moments before the attack." The nurse sounded anxious and grief-ridden. Chōza watched her frantic eyes skitter toward the doorway. "If there is nothing else, Lord Akimichi, I must get back to the emergency room. We have far more infants than we can handle at the moment. Most of them will be funneled into the orphanage system as soon as possible." The woman started for the door, obviously readying herself for the onslaught of mayhem outside. He watched the nurse pause on her way out. "She died for a few moments." His brows rose, gaze flickering down to his tiny niece as she took small, quick breaths. He felt sickened. He nearly lost everything of his sister—including her daughter. "That little girl right there is a _survivor_."

With that, the nurse left.

Akimichi Chōza pulled in a breath and settled his attention once more on the baby—an orphan. Okuda Keisuke had been killed with the rest of his ANBU squad. His body had been found only a couple hours after dawn. And Chisato…Reaching down, he took hold of the clipboard that hung on the edge of the bed and read the notes that were scribbled there.

"Miho," he murmured. Tears began to fill his eyes as the stress of the past day began to topple over him like a tidal wave. So many had been lost, but that little name made him feel the first bit of happiness in hours. "They named you after your grandmother, my mom—our mother. Mom. I-I should have known. Chisato always said…She said she would…"

He pressed his lips together and nodded.

This was what Keisuke would want, what his sweet sister would want. There was really no question about it, no inner debate over the merits of what he was about to do. It was natural. Keisuke had been an orphan with no family.

This little girl had nowhere to go, but to her mother's family and he would take her in with wide open arms. No doubt entered Akimichi Chōza's mind or heart. His wife would be in agreement. Her kind heart knew no bounds. Their own child was only a few months older.

This was one of the easiest decisions in his life, if the heaviest.

"Akimichi Miho," he murmured to the infant. "I'm your Papa now." He glanced over his shoulder to his sister's body and then his eyes glanced toward the window. Smoke was still rising from the ruins of the village. He followed that smoke to the blue sky above. "Chisato, Keisuke…I'll-I'll protect her as my own. I give you my word. From this moment forward, she'll be my daughter."


	2. Part I: Framing Device

It was not unusual to find the girl hidden away in the Akimichi Clan library, tucked behind stacks of books and scrolls. For some, the little one was haunting in her zest for the written word. She took to it like a duck to water. A rather odd duck, as some of the Clan Elders would say. She was sometimes too articulate, too sharp. At times, she seemed older than her years. Nevertheless, they patted her head and smiled as she tucked books and scrolls under her little arms and waddled her way home. They saw a ghost over her shoulder, another woman that thrived on ink and paper. Elder Chojiro had to stop himself from calling out to the young girl by her mother's name.

_Chisato._

It was the Clan Head's wish that Akimichi Miho not know her true parentage until she was a genin, of-age in her own right as a kunoichi. He cited the complexity of the story— too much for a child to understand. How did one explain what they could not explain? Even Elder Chojiro did not know large swaths of information about the incident.

The Clan Elders had a bet established though.

Some wagered quite a hefty sum (a year supply of dango) that she would realize her own parentage before Chōza could tell her. After all, she was a smart little thing. She would see the inconsistencies. Two Elders set their bets on before she left the Academy. Four for after.

Elder Chojiro? He knew better than to place bets on such a thing.

After all, anyone could see that the girl would never reveal her knowledge if she knew it would have negative impacts on those for which she cared. It would have negative impact, of that much he was sure. The little girl, as perceptive as she was, would realize that too. Such a revelation would jeopardize the easy peace of the Clan from her perspective.

The Clan Elders were prepared for all eventualities. She would always be Akimichi.

He watched her a while, when she and her brother were playing in the courtyard. They ran this way and that, laughing and yelling and filling the solemn Akimichi manor with the happiness of children once more. She and her brother wrestled a bit on the porch at the other side of the courtyard. Pipe halfway to his lips, the Clan Elder observed as she stopped, her foot catching the side of the porch, her body over-correcting on the edge.

She pushed her brother free of her arms— to safety – before she fell.

And she did, indeed, fall.

That action told him all he needed to know about the youngest generation of his clan.

Akimichi Miho lumbered to her feet. Her movements were uncoordinated, stiff, and awkward. The Elder watched as she looked around, tears shining on her purple cheek swirls. But she was facing him, not her brother. From his watching place, Elder Chojiro observed how her pained expression shifted to one of resolution. She pressed away the tears with her sleeves. Once she seemed to have herself upright, her hands batted at her yukata top.

When she raised her head, her eyes met his.

She seemed to think for a moment before she smiled and turned.

On the porch, her brother sat and watched with wide, worried eyes.

"It's okay, Chōji. I'm not hurt."

Pushing himself up from his hiding place, the old man shuffled into the adjacent meeting room. Pulling in a final huff from his pipe, he savored the burn in his chest and the thrill in his lungs. He could hear the game resuming outside, all thoughts of a topple falling away. The laughter was a welcome sound.

"Elders, I have come as requested."

Akimichi Chōza entered the meeting space and bowed like the polite lad he was. He sank to his knees before the Elders, only raising his head again when the eldest among them bid him to.

"Look up, boy. Look up. Haven't we been through all of this enough times? You are Clan Head. You need not bow to us with such reverence." Chojiro smirked at his wife. He still enjoyed watching her even after all their years together. She was a true shrew and he loved her so. "How went the meeting then?" The edge in her voice was unmistakable.

It was an edge of fear. One they all knew well.

The village was resting on the edge of a kunai.

Chojiro had known the boy, Chōza, since he was born. His nephew had grown into a strong man. That strength was not merely physical. No, Akimichi Chōza was a quiet force. A kind, quiet force. He weathered each storm like a boulder, firm and solid. But even boulders erode with time. So, when a righteous anger overtook his nephew's face, Elder Chojiro knew that the situation was dire.

"What have you to tell us, youngin'?"

"The Uchiha Clan…I fear that the situation is growing more hostile.'" Chōza sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Though I can understand their frustration, the village council's bias has become too great. I fear for their clan. The Three Clans have voiced our disapproval of the increased taxation of Uchiha District exports however, we were overruled."

"Again."

"Again." Chōza confirmed.

"This affects the whole village. If the export tax is raised, then we will all suffer the consequences." Elder Ayumu's stern tenor resonated with barely repressed rage. "And their thinking is what? That we will hate the Uchiha for this inconvenience?"

A few of the Elders scoffed, but Chojiro saw the dark expression on Chōza's face. Apparently, so did Ayumu.

"Indeed? That is their plan?"

At this realization, a flurry of panic went up in the room. If the village council sought to alienate the Uchiha further, then who was to say that the Akimichi, Nara, or Yamanaka would not be next? It set a deadly precedent if left unchecked. Chojiro had been alive long enough to know how propaganda worked. He saw it spun up in the Second and Third Wars.

Now, it was being used to undermine the Uchiha.

What was worse, they were helping it along. Like fire to kindling, as was their way.

"That is only my assumption." Chōza sighed. "We fear what will happen when the taxes are put into effect a few months from now."

The laughter of the children outside broke the heavy silence of the room. It drew the eyes of every weathered soul in the room to the shadows of the children, running along the porch outside of the meeting room. Chōji chased his sister, each of their heavy footfalls rattling the floors. Despite the tension, Chojiro felt himself smile, catching sight of the endeared grin of his nephew.

"The young youngins remind us that whatever actions we take, they shall reap." His wife's words were like a kunai, piercing through to the heart of it all. "Shall we leave the Uchiha to their fate? Shall we help them in this? What more can we do? What will affect our children?" Her questions hung over the room like a scythe as the children continued to laugh, giggle, and call out to each other outside. "Does this…change our confidence in Konoha?"

No one spoke.

Whatever the decision, Akimichi Chojiro only hoped that the two children would not face such questions against their own village in their time.

Though, he knew, that was a fool's hope.

* * *

She knew there was more to it. There had to be. Snapping the book closed, she pushed herself up to her knees and then stood, one foot after the other. Grimacing a bit at the wrinkles in her yukata top, she hefted the book under her arm and stepped into the kitchen. Chōji, her brother, sat at the table. He was devouring what looked to be a triple-level sandwich. Miho felt her mouth water a bit at the sight of it, but she needed to stay focused. She had a task to complete after all. With little effort, she dropped the book onto the table and watched the satisfaction as everything on the table jumped.

"Miho! What did I say about dropping books on the table?"

The girl had just enough conscience in her to look chastised. "Don't do it."

"I said what?"

"You said not to do it." Scuffing her shoe against the tile, Miho shuffled a bit before jerking her head up with a grin. Her mother— honestly, bless her heart— didn't even recoil. In fact, she didn't seem the least bit affected by the fly-by contrition. "There's another volume of this, right?"

This, though, did catch her mother's attention. The woman turned, a hand coming to her hip as she eyed her daughter's bright eyes and smile. "You're done already? You just got that one two days ago!"

Miho glanced to the gigantic volume and nodded, pursing her lips. Maybe she'd read it too fast? Did she read it too fast? How fast was too fast? She could remember what it said though, so maybe she didn't read too fast.

"Miho—"

"I want to know why."

Chōji looked over from his sandwich. "Why what?"

"Why the Second Shinobi War started."

Akimichi Miho stared up at her mother, waiting for an answer. The book never provided a reason. There were plenty of numbers and battle descriptions. There were stories about the great heroes: the Sannin, the White Fang, all of the great people. There were even counts of dead, wounded, and missing. But there was no reason. Why did Konoha go to war? _Why_ did they fight with Suna against Iwa?

Miho didn't know a lot of things, but she knew that wars had causes. Every little child knew that fights didn't just happen.

After all, Miho herself didn't deck Morimoto Yumi without just cause.

No one did anything without reasons, no matter how terrible those reasons might be.

"The writers left out a reason for the war. They just said it happened. So, why did Konoha start the war?"

Part of Miho knew she was pushing it, but she stared at her mother, waiting for an answer.

However, her eyes shifted out of focus.

A few words and phrases skittered around in her mind in a language she didn't know. Or maybe she did know it. Maybe she heard it somewhere. They were words she knew, but she didn't know. She just _understood_ them, but she was certain she'd never read them before. _Propaganda_ and _revisionist history_ were darting around in her mind, linking all of the disparate pieces together.

It happened every so often and it always felt like this— as if the pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of her brain were fusing together and drawing lines.

_ Never break-_

When she was littler, her father used to tell her stories about how the first generations drew lines between stars to make pictures. Those pictures became constellations. And the Constellations, grateful to People for helping them become what they were, helped the People to find their way and housed their stories.

So, when Miho was struck with these thoughts and feelings and sensations and inklings and memories and pictures that linked things and thoughts together in her mind, she called it "constellating."

She didn't understand_ why_ her thoughts made sense, only that they did.

She didn't understand _why_ they felt like they were hers and someone else's, but they did.

When her eyes focused again, she could see the thoughtful expression on her mother's face.

"Konoha didn't start the war. There was an unprovoked attack at a guard station. Iwagakure killed the team stationed there. That team had members from four main clans."

Miho nodded her head, even as she doubted the unprovoked nature of the attack. In all the history books she'd read, Iwagakure was more underhanded. They never attacked outright. Instead, they destabilized or attacked by-proxy unless a war had already started.

"You can get the second volume tomorrow after school. For now, sit down and eat."

Shifting one leg up into the chair, Miho pulled herself up and settled down on the chair beside her brother. He smiled around half of his sandwich, reaching out to affectionately pat her head. One, two, three pats as usual. A plate of noodles was placed in front of her with a low whistle from her mother. The noodles were coated in a thick sauce. With a quiet exclamation, the girl dug into the meal.

"Chōji, are you and Shikamaru getting together today?"

"Mm. This afternoon." He popped a few chips into his mouth.

Miho could feel the happy energy radiating from him. Nara Shikamaru was seven- their age- and, over the course of the past few months, had become her brother's best friend. Where Chōji went, Shikamaru followed and vice versa. He was a good guy that always had Chōji's best interests at heart, even if he was a bit on the lethargic side. It was convenient, given how their father and Shikamaru's were on a team together.

Slurping up a big wad of noodles, the little girl withered a bit under her mother's scolding stare. Right, don't slurp. Adjusting her elbows on the table, Miho made another go at it, careful not to make noise as she ate. Her mother was a stickler for manners and etiquette.

"We're going cloud watching! Hey, Miho! Do you wanna go with us?"

Smiling, Miho shook her head. Her cheeks were stuffed with noodles. "Training. I'm meeting Lee at Training Ground 10." Her attention flickered up to the clock and she gasped, hacking when some noodles shot to the back of her throat. As she coughed, she threw herself out of the chair and poured the rest of the bowl into her mouth, holding it on her tongue while she finished getting the broth from her throat.

"You're not late. What's the rush?"

Chōji turned to watch her grab her backpack from her basket by the door.

She stopped, swallowing down the rest of her meal. "Lee said I needed to do a hundred pushups before he gets there or I'm gonna have to do a hundred pullups! I hate pullups." Seeming to think again before hurrying out the door, the little girl turned on her heel and ran to her mother, throwing her arms around her thigh. Her mother patted her head with a soft laugh. "We're breaking our records today!"

"You will be _on time_ this evening, Miho. It's—"

"The First Three Clan Meet-Up!" Chōji had been excited about it for weeks.

The Nara and the Yamanaka Head Families were meeting them for dinner at a local barbecue restaurant. Miho knew why.

"You need to be home in time to clean up."

"Yes, Mama!" She swung around the table to peck a kiss to the swirl on her brother's cheek. He hummed happily, grabbing a chip from his plate to pop into his mouth. "Tell Shikamaru that I'll have that book back to him tonight. I promise!"

"That's what you said last week!"

"Promise!"

"He's not gonna buy that!"

Acting as if she didn't hear him, Miho threw herself out of the front door. As quickly as she could manage, she ran down the street and then another two side streets to the training ground. Making her way down the forest path, she grabbed a chocolate bar from the side pocket of her pack. The chocolate was a high calorie intake bar, with 500 calories per bar. This was her third of the day. It was only just after noon.

Her metabolism didn't work like her brother's. That's what Clan Elder Ayumu said, who was the senior clan doctor. At the time, she was five and didn't understand why she was different from Chōji. She was taller and stockier. Chōji had to eat less than she did to maintain his weight. Miho ate more high calorie meals and snacks because her body burned through the intake quicker.

At least, that was what Elder Ayumu said.

"My dear," she had whispered. "You are a force. But you are not the same force as your brother."

Which also meant that she would not inherit the clan techniques.

She couldn't maintain the calories needed for them. They burned off too quickly. Some sort of strange Akimichi anomaly. Basically, Miho realized, she was weird. She was still heavy-set, "big-boned," and thick, and a head taller than others in her class. A head taller than kids in the class ahead of her. She still inherited the clan taijutsu, but…Well, that just meant she had to learn other things.

And learning was Miho's favorite thing to do.

Chōji needed the clan techniques to become the leader of the Akimichi one day. To support him in that, Miho resolved to do whatever she needed to.

Like doing one hundred pushups in the mid-July heat.

The grass under her palms felt an odd mixture of cool and hot and her fingertips itched as she pressed herself down and then back up again. Her arms burned. Her stomach burned, even as it brushed the forest floor with each dip to the earth. Every so often, her fingers would spasm to grip the grass for traction or strength pulled from the roots.

Around the seventy-one count, her limbs shook and quivered before she fell into the grass at seventy-five and didn't rise again. Her head turned to the side and her breath made the blades of grass dance in front of her eyes. There was an ache in her muscles, but it seemed to seep into her bones.

And the longer she lay there, the less she wanted to get back up.

Somewhere in the distance, there was a rumbling thunder. It was miles and miles away, but it echoed off of the mountainside and down into the village. The air was becoming humid, a slick film coating the exposed skin of her face and forearms. The energy was in the air. She could feel it. Her eyes closed Miho remembered that same energy and thunder.

Thunder and rain and a screech and flashing lights and something painful and hard. It hurt, but only for a moment.

But she also remembered flat land as far as the eye could see with tall grass swaying in the breeze. On the horizon, a thunderhead grew and drew closer. With it, a curtain of rain fell over the plain. She'd never seen a plain before. She'd never seen such magnificent storms.

She'd never watched clouds spin and wreck and etch their way across landscapes.

She'd never chased those spinning clouds in a strange metal contraption. The same one that broke and shattered and twisted. She had been chasing then. Chasing one of those cloud towers.

_Tornadoes_, her mind supplied like instinct.

Little Akimichi Miho remembered bits and pieces of another life.

And it usually didn't scare her. It just was.

But as she lay there, waiting for Lee to arrive and for the rain to fall, she made more constellations.

Her mind supplied things that made little sense, but she knew they were right. Her mind remembered things that weren't her but were hers. Like choruses of songs that would come to her mind like wisps, bouncing around until they found their way out of her mouth. In a language she did not recognize, but that she knew.

Or faces of people she knew _mattered_ and _meant something_ but that she couldn't name. One though, she was sure, was her mother. Somehow, she knew she would never forget her—no matter how many lives she cycled through. A soft, round face and blonde hair and no-nonsense written in her features. Sad, angled eyes.

There were other things though.

Every so often, a twinge of recollection or recognition. Like she knew this place, like she knew Konoha, from another perspective. The images were flat, like comic books. Or they were moving, like cartoons. Miho could never seem to wrap her mind around it.

But she saw things.

People.

And she knew them before she knew them.

"Are you okay?"

Her eyes opened to a pair of sandals. She huffed, turning over onto her back. Lee stood over her, large brows pulled together in concern. He shifted down to one knee to get a closer look. "I'm good. I'm good."

Obviously relieved, he settled down onto his rear, folding his legs. "It is going to storm soon." He reached back to pull his braid over his right shoulder, a nervous mannerism.

"A little storm can't stop us." Miho smiled up at him, settling a hand on his knee. "We've got work to do!"

His large eyes widened before he grinned, raising a fist. "You are right! We have work to do! Let us work hard, Miho!" Rock Lee was already on his feet, holding out a hand to help her upright. "I will do five hundred kicks. You will do two hundred laps. Are you ready? If we do not do this, then I will do six hundred jump ropes and you will do three hundred pullups."

"Let's get it."

_ Let's get it, kids!_

Miho felt a flare of familiarity in the phrase, like she'd said it a million times before in a dream. That Other Life again, that Other Place. Then. Not giving herself the time to think it over— or to acknowledge Lee's momentary confusion with the odd phrase— Miho took off running. She smiled at the distant yell of determination as his counting began.

Hours later, when the sweat was soaking her yukata top and her leggings and she was leaning against the dented tree stump, Miho handed a calorie bar over to her friend.

"We're improving. You completed your task."

"I need to do better."

Pressing her lips together, Miho nodded. "Yeah, me too. We'll get there." A calm moment passed with just the rustle of the leaves and the still-distant cracks of thunder. The storm was closer now, but not yet arrived. "Don't listen to them, Lee."

He didn't say anything, but she saw his hands grip together until his knuckles went white.

Lee was in the class ahead of her and he suffered daily from the taunts of the other students in his year. It was a constant barrage of meanness. The kind that only children could deliver. Miho knew first-hand how cruel other kids could be, how unnecessarily mean and uncaring. It'd only become occasional for Miho after the Morimoto Yumi debacle. No one wanted to face down a giant with a mean right hook. But Lee faced it every day. Like Chōji.

"You're gonna be stronger than all of them, Lee. Just keep working on it." Pushing herself up, Miho brushed down the damp front of her yukata before holding out a hand. Lee stared up at her with barely concealed adoration, taking her hand to allow her to haul him up. "Wait for it, Lee."

_ Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it._

Clapping his shoulder with a grin, she grabbed her backpack

"You are the same, Miho. Do not give up on your dreams either. Together, we will prove them all wrong. I just know it."

Miho agreed and bid him a good night, heading toward her home a few blocks away.

Dreams were something Miho grappled with, wrestling down the instincts to chase them with abandon. But her dreams and the dreams that were expected of her weren't the same. She wanted to stay a civilian, work in a trade, and die old. She wanted to do anything but fight. Anything but destroy. Her Clan needed her to be a second to Chōji, a strong kunoichi in her own right, able to support him when he took up the role.

"There's my pumpkin blossom!" She felt a set of huge arms wrap around her middle, tossing her up into the air before settling her on his shoulders. She could recognize her father's deep bass voice anywhere. She set her hands on his red hair, angling forward to smile at the side of his face. "Were you off training today?"

"Hi, Papa! I did two hundred laps around the training field today!"

"Good! You're improving. I expect Lee will be upping that count next time?" Miho hummed in agreement and Chōza laughed. His laugh was a warm one that always seemed to make her feel as if she'd won some sort of prize. "Another storm is coming in this evening. Are you excited for it?"

Miho didn't answer, leaning forward to examine the new scar on his left cheek. She didn't feel like talking about storms today. "Papa, did you get hurt on your mission?"

Chōza adjusted his hold on her legs, an obvious tell of his discomfort. Miho brushed a finger over the scar, brows drawn together in concern. "A stray kunai. It was hardly a close call." Still skeptical, the little girl crossed her arms. He huffed in amusement, jostling her just a bit. "If it makes you feel any better, Miho, the other guy looks worse."

"Of course he does."

Her father boomed a great laugh as they entered the clan compound gates. She waved happily to the guard on rotation. Her cousin, Chihiro, waved back with a smile. The woman used to babysit her when she was littler. When they passed under the great elm tree on the path toward home, Miho decided to just voice her thoughts. After all, they'd been bouncing around in her head for days.

"Do I really need to go to the dinner tonight, Papa? I won't be part of the formation."

Miho couldn't tell if it was her tone or her words that made her father falter. She felt his arms come up settle his hands on her sides. He hefted her up as if she were nothing and set her upon the ground, lowering himself to one knee in front of her. His large hands settled like training weights on her shoulders. _Oh_, she realized. _This is serious._ She must have mis-spoke.

"Sorry, father, I—"

"You do not need to apologize, Miho." His dark eyes focused on hers, making it difficult to look anywhere else. "I know you may feel left out tonight. The bond between the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi Clan Heirs must be strong. Tonight is just a step toward forging that bond. You must remember that you are important. You are no less important than Chōji or Shikamaru or Ino. You are the honored daughter of the Akimichi Clan." His grip grew stronger. Miho could feel the question in the action and she nodded. "If anything, those three may envy you. You will have more freedom with your team and future than they will."

She couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Poor Ino."

"Speaking of Ino," her father rose to his feet again. He held out his hand for her to hold as they made their way toward the house. "Try to get along with her. She's…"

"Intense?"

"We'll use that. Yes. She's intense."

Miho waved that thought away like she was batting away a fruit fly. "Ino's never bothered me too much. Most of the time, I think she means well. She just doesn't realize she words things in bad ways."

"That's very giving of you."

"Ino doesn't have a mean heart. Not like some other kids."

He stood, holding out his hand for her to hold. She grasped on and trailed beside him. "Yes, like Morimoto Yumi?"

She pressed her forehead into his arm, trying to hide the heat in her face and the smile that pulled at her lips. For his part, her father pretended not to notice. "She had it coming." His arm bounced slightly, in a way that told her he was chuckling. She jerked her head up. "You're laughing! But you grounded me for that! Why're you laughing?" His amusement built into another great laugh and Miho couldn't help but to smile up at him. "Papa—"

"You just reminded me of a friend who also punched someone out at the Academy. He was around the same age, too."

His chuckles died down. Miho watched as his expression became wistful, lost to memories. She recognized it as the one he wore when he talked about comrades that had died.

"There was a kid— and I can't remember his name—that was bullying someone. Pushed her down. Out of nowhere, Keisuke appeared and punched the kid so hard he lost a tooth. Planted himself like a wall in front of the girl that was being bullied."

Whenever her father had that kind of tone and expression, Miho didn't ask questions.

It wasn't that she didn't want to know more. She _always_ wanted to know more.

But she also knew that questions would hurt.

"I still got grounded."

Her father blinked out of his reverie and looked down at her, smiling. That smile was full of both amusement and sadness. "You can't punch your future comrades. No matter how mad they make you."

Miho wondered if the loophole in that statement was purposeful or if he didn't realize that specifying "punching" opened up a lot of opportunities other than "punching." Rather than pointing this out, she just nodded and followed her father inside.

* * *

By the time they were in the restaurant, it was storming outside. The clouds raced overhead, painted red and orange by the lights of the village. The streets were quickly becoming muddied lanes of ochre, trails of water following cart paths. Every so often, thunder would shake the entire village. Once or twice, that thunder rattled the chopsticks. Miho's attention trailed to windows, watching as water beat against the glass. Occasionally, a gust of wind dragged a wave and then another wave when the sound grew louder and receded again.

"— in the Academy, Miho?"

Miho snapped her head around and stared blankly at Nara Yoshino. Her lips quirked up in amusement at the obviously unfocused little girl. Repentant, the girl bowed her head a bit. "Sorry, Mrs. Nara. I was watching…" She gestured toward the river of water running down the glass.

"How are you doing in the Academy? You father said you're quite the hand-to-hand combat type."

Perking up at the question, Miho glanced to where the rest of the adults were talking and where Shikamaru and Chōji were quietly eating, trading occasional glances while Ino chattered about the general Academy gossip. When she looked to Mrs. Nara again, she noticed the patient pity in her eyes. "I love the Academy. I wish they'd teach us hand-to-hand weapons besides kunai, but I like my teachers and…most of the other kids."

"'Most of the other kids,' huh?" The woman grinned, leaning down conspiratorially. "We heard you laid out an older kid." Miho's eyes widened, glancing to Shikamaru in shock. Mrs. Nara laughed. "Oh, no. My Shikamaru's too lazy to tell that story. Your Papa was crowing your praises for it." As if sharing a secret, the woman leaned even closer and cupped her hand. Miho knew such an action was for show because every ninja at the table would be able to hear her. "Don't let them fool you. They're happy you stood up to that little harpy."

Cutting her attention toward her parents, Miho smiled and leaned forward as well, cupping her hand in the same manner. Mrs. Nara grinned, obviously enjoying the play. "Papa said I can't punch future comrades anymore. But that doesn't mean I can't kick them."

Mrs. Nara threw her head back and laughed, raising a hand to ruffle Miho's wild mane of curls. "Big girl like you can handle them."

Despite how often those words, "big girl," were used to demean her, Miho sat a bit straighter and preened. She was the biggest person in their class, even bigger than some kids older than her. Sometimes, that was an advantage. Even if it did get used as a weapon against her from time-to-time. Miho knew- being a big girl sometimes made her powerful.

"Yes, ma'am."

The Nara matriarch turned to the other kids, levelling a distinctly disapproving eye at her son, before she settled in to listen to Yamanaka Inoichi's story about some mission in Kusa. Miho saw Shikamaru mutter something to Chōji while her brother grabbed some picked cucumbers from a nearby plate.

"Yumi's nose will never be straight again."

Ino's voice held a distinctly disapproving tone and Miho turned to face her fully. The girl's pupil-less blue eyes stared at her over the plates of meat and veggies. She could feel Chōji's attention whipping back and forth, from one side of the table to the other. Outside, a peal of thunder rattled the street and the window behind her vibrated with the sound.

Her eyes unfocused for a moment.

In her mind, as if in a daydream, she could see Ino older and more mature. It was one of those two-dimensional images. Like a pictograph. Ino. Shikamaru. Chōji. On a battlefield. During a war.

A war.

Miho let out a shaky breath as her eyes focused again. Ino stared back at her, brows drawn together. Fear rippled through her skin, settling in her stomach and collecting energy there until the young Akimichi felt like she might throw up with the force of it. She couldn't focus on Ino any longer, the same images flashing in her mind.

Actual flashes. Like explosions. The screen goes white and there's nothing left.

Hands quivering, she grasped the edge of her skirt and kept clenching until her fingers hurt.

Flash.

"You're alright. I've wanted to knock Yumi down a few pegs before and—"

BOOM.

The loudest thunder of the evening rocked the entire building and every person in the space flinched. Some of the more hardened shinobi even reacted, settling their hands on their hips. Ino yelped while Chōji grasped onto Shikamaru. Someone laughed while another several cursed. Miho felt as if that thunderclap had split the world in two, or three.

Tearing metal and racing winds and I can't move.

_ I can still hear you sayin'_

A war, an explosion— flat, but there. And real.

The real world, where the thunder bounced into the distance as another lightning strike chased it away.

It felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her and she recoiled, throwing her hands over her head. A cacophony of sounds and images flooded and she raced to catch her breathing up because it felt like she wasn't getting enough air.

_There_ she couldn't get enough air.

_ Never break the chain._

Because there was something pushed through her lungs. And it hurt.

"Miho?"

Ino, Chōji, and Shikamaru on a battlefield. Ino was crying. Shikamaru was crying. A distant clap of thunder.

Trying to pull in enough air, Miho frantically looked toward her father who sat to her right. She could feel Chōji's hand somewhere on her arm, but— When she saw her father's face, his lips were moving, but she couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear him.

Because the sound was just too loud.

"I can't— Papa! I can't!"

Distantly, she could see people moving behind her father, but her eyes remained on him, trained on him. He would know what to do. He would be able to _make it stop_. There was a dull ache in her side, but she didn't know why.

Maybe it was because she couldn't breathe.

_ Never break the chain._

Maybe it was because that's where the metal struck.

_ Never break the chain._

But the explosion. In the distance, on the horizon.

The war.

Everything went white.

Miho felt herself stumble a bit and sank down to her knees, but she didn't remember standing. It was everything, all of it. An onslaught. The crash and the war and—So much. Her breathing calmed and settled as she tried to regain control.

Wasn't she at a restaurant? Where— Her eyes trailed around the white world.

In all that sea of white, there was only one pop of color. Yellow, blue, and an orange sundress. Yamanaka Ino stared back at her, arms crossed and eyes frightened. Her shoulder heaved with the effort to breathe. Terror seemed to alight around her. Miho shook.

"What was all that?"

Just like that, Ino disappeared and everything went dark.


	3. Part I: Ticking Clock Scenario

It was with an oppressive sort of malaise that Miho pulled herself out of bed. Her muscles ached and her head was throbbing. Gently as she could, she padded toward the bathroom, stopping momentarily to stare at the empty chair that was positioned by her bed. Blinking, she continued on her way, trudging through the bathroom door. After a few minutes, she raised her head to look into the mirror. Her black curls where an unholy mess, flattened into nonexistence on the right side of her head. It was her eyes though that made her pause, toothbrush in hand.

_Not my eyes_.

The reflex thought echoed away.

_Yes,_ she thought. _My eyes. _

She could almost remember. Bits and pieces. The stars were there. Scattered remnants of another person, another her, from a world so-very-different. Or really, not all that different. A bunch of stories that weren't hers, but were. She could piece them together. She wasn't sure if she wanted to, but she could.

Miho could remember dying.

She'd been young— older, but young. Twenties, maybe.

A twist of metal and wind. One flip, two flips, three, four, five. Painful pirouettes before the crash down. A pipe impaled just under her right breast. The wind caught her car— a large moving metal contraption that she knew _there_, but not _here_. The wind sent it toppling, rolling until it rested upside down in a ditch. She could remember hanging there. Listening to the rush of rain and the radio playing—

_I can still hear you saying…_

The toothbrush clattered out of her hand into the sink.

_You would never break the chain. Never break the chain. _

The war was coming. An explosion on the horizon. Headquarters. So many people…And she'd watched it happen on a television. All of it, from distance. People she already knew here; people she didn't. Ones she hoped to never meet; ones that she needed to meet. She had to meet. Half arches, shattered plots. There was only so much she could remember of the story— and it _was_ a story— but she remembered the explosion and the deaths. She remembered the deaths more than anything else.

"Miho?"

Tearing her attention from the mirror, she turned to find her mother in the doorway. Before she could say anything, her mother's arms were cradling her.

"Oh, sweetheart."

Miho fought her kneejerk instinct to pull away and instead buried her face into the crook of her mother's shoulder, desperately grasping to the silk of her shirt as it stretched across her back. "Mama…" It was all overwhelming and, despite not wanting to cry, a few tears escaped and soaked into the silk. "I'm sorry. I—"

"Do not apologize, sweetheart." Her mother pulled away, resting her soft hands on either side of Miho's face. Then those hands pushed the curls back and away from her cheeks. "You have nothing to apologize for. You gave us quite the scare though. Why—" Her mother seemed to steel herself and Miho followed suit, taking a deep stabilizing breath. "Why did that happen?"

The truth was not something she wanted to say. Saying it out loud made it real. Saying it out loud could lead to psych evaluations, which would put the Academy and subsequent promotion into jeopardy. The truth was dangerous. A lie then. But, while her mother wasn't a kunoichi, her father was. Not to mention that his two best friends were 1) the best strategist in the Land of Fire and 2) a literal mind-reader. So, lying to him wouldn't be smart.

Evasion.

"Can I just…not say?" Seeing the obvious flash of disappointment, Miho lowered her eyes to stare at her wringing hands. "Mama, I just…Please. I'm okay now. But I don't want…"

There was a moment of tense quiet before her mother's hands fell to Miho's shoulders. She grasped there before leaning down for another embrace. Miho held on for her life. "Alright. That's alright. But for me, confide in someone. It's okay to be scared. It's okay not to be okay." Though her mother was never one for empty platitudes, she pressed her curls down over and over again. "Everything will be alright."

_'cause every little thing gonna be alright._

Miho tried not to jerk at the way her mind automatically supplied words, words in another language. Another song. It was only through sheer force of will that she steadied herself enough to justify a strong mask. She fixed it over her face like a wall and drew away. The grin she wore was not real, but no one would know the difference. Not unless they were inside her head. "I need to finish getting ready."

"You can stay home from Academy today, Miho. After last night…"

Some part of Miho— another section of her entirely— scoffed at the idea of letting a seven-year-old decide whether or not she was attending school. That same section was a slew of words that Miho grasped at random. _Mental health day _and _student welfare_ were among those. A part of her was impressed. Miho ignored that kneejerk reaction, pushing it away to examine later.

"I want to go. I can't fall behind."

Her mother tilted her lips. "If you're sure…"

Miho nodded, turning back to the sink to grab her toothbrush from the bowl. "I'm sure. I'm okay now. I promise."

_Not okay._ Decidedly _not_ okay.

Rather than argue, her mother rose up and nodded determinedly. "Then I'll make you a good breakfast and some fresh snacks for today, alright?"

A few moments later, Miho could smell the distinct aroma of bacon and, a little later still, baking pumpkin-spiced scones. Staying in her bathroom, Miho drew half her hair back and tied it off with a burgundy strip of cloth before getting fully dressed.

It was as she wrapped her elbows in bandages that Chōji appeared in the doorway, pausing only momentarily to heave in a breath before he charged at her. Miho barely had time to catch him, keeping him aloft as he seemed to go weak in the knees. Warmth flooded through her at her brother's weeping and she sank to the floor with him, patting his bush of wild brown hair.

"Chōji, brother, I'm okay. Really, I am."

"You just— You just looked— You looked so scared. I-I didn't know what to do. Nobody knew what to do! Then you passed our and Ino passed out and it was so _scary!_"

Pressing her lips together, Miho exhaled a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding. So Ino passed out as well. The flutter of fear that filled her stomach made it feel as if bile were clawing up her throat. If Ino saw…If she knew…

"I'm _okay_, Chōji."

_Not okay. Definitely _not_ okay._

He wasn't crying when he pulled back a moment later. Instead, his eyes were dead serious in a way that he rarely ever showed. Miho fought back a smile. As sweet and kind as her brother was, Chōji was also a force to be reckoned with when he was serious. "What happened?"

Miho stared back at him, trying to think of _something_ to say.

Because lying to Chōji just wasn't…

It wasn't something she could do.

Instead, "I promise I'll tell you. When I do, please believe me."

"It's…It's something big, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

He stared at her, considering her words for a long moment. Sighing, he nodded, looking to the floor. But he didn't let go of her hand and Miho waited, knowing her brother well enough to sense he had more to say. His grip tightened and he looked up again, determination in his dark eyes.

"Tell me when you want. I'll believe you. I will."

Something lifted off her chest and she surged forward, pulling her brother into the tightest embrace she'd ever given him. And he clung back, grabbing onto the shoulders of her vest, as far around as his arms could go. Squeezing her eyes shut, for a moment, she forgot all of it. All of it. Every single scattered piece.

"Thank you, Chōji."

* * *

It was a strange feeling, honestly, like two parts of her were warring with each other. Something had changed since the "Episode" which was a pun she didn't intend and hated. The further she got from it, the more she could tell. Things were not quite the same as they were before. The stories that were _hers_ then rang louder in her head and the stories that _weren't hers_ then rang even louder. She could feel a sense of foreboding welling in her stomach as they approached the Academy.

So many were there. So many from the story. Her hand delved into the potato chip bag blindly and she popped a bit into her mouth. She frowned, gagging at the flavor.

A bag appeared in front of her face as Chōji held it out for her to take. His other hand was extended to accept the pickle-flavored chips she held. Miho smiled widely, taking the proffered exchange. Chōji smiled in return. "I know you hate pickles. I love 'em!"

He made a dramatic show of eating the pickle-flavored monstrosities.

Miho smiled widely, throwing an arm over her brother's shoulder.

"Cute."

Shikamaru's bored tone belied the small smile on his face. He folded both hands behind his head. Studiously ignoring the once-over he gave her, Miho stuffed a handful of chips into her mouth. He seemed to be picking her apart, analyzing each rumple in her yukata and the bags under her eyes. Chōji cut him a pretty obvious cautionary glance, but said nothing.

"You okay?"

Miho pulled her arm from around Chōji, looking around him to Shikamaru's dull stare. "I'm good now that I've gotten some rest." After a moment, she reached in the bag and handed over a large, particularly crunchy-looking chip. "Thanks for asking."

He took the chip, popped it in his mouth, and smiled around it.

Once she settled in her desk, the performance seemed to end. Her shoulders rounded and she curved inward, all of the energy fleeing. Chōji sat in front of her with Shikamaru, munching as he watched others enter the class. Shikamaru was asleep already, head tucked against his arms. Her seat was in the back row, between a civilian boy—Kouji— and Uchiha Reiko, neither of which seemed to notice her deflation.

The room was different somehow.

Or maybe she saw it differently.

She'd seen it _then. _Flat, two-dimensional.

Only a few brief flashes, swallowed up by more prominent images.

Like the war.

The story.

"Miho."

Pulling in a deep breath, she turned in her chair. Ino stood with her arms crossed, brows drawn together and light blue eyes alight. A wince drew the girl's attention and Miho could have sworn she saw something like exasperation flicker across her face.

"I wanna know."

Uneasy at the attention Ino's interaction was bringing— because Ino had never, ever interacted with her directly before— Miho tried to deflate even more. If she could deflate enough, maybe she'd become invisible. Still Ino held her ground and even puffed herself up even more, trying to appear bigger.

Which was not physically possible.

Even as "no" started to form on her tongue, Miho bit it down.

Ino, in a sea of white. Eyes wide and fearful.

She'd seen _something._

When Miho looked up at Ino's narrowed eyes again, she recognized the _barely-visible_ fear.

It's there, but Ino is the daughter of a major clan. She won't show more in public.

_She saw something._

"N-Not here."

Ino was a force of nature and very used to getting her way. Yet, somewhere in the constellations and echoes in Miho's head, there was respect. Ino, for all of her gossip-mongering and her domineering attitude, was smart and resourceful and good. Fundamentally, Yamanaka Ino was a good person.

So, with slightly more confidence, Miho sighed. "Later. Please."

Just as Ino opened her mouth to answer, a whisper— _just_ loud enough to be heard— broke through the din of the classroom. Miho heard it clear as day. Everyone at the back of the classroom did as well. It wasn't like the offender was trying to be quiet.

"What's Pretty Ino doin' talkin' to that fatty?"

Ino stiffened, scarily sharp eyes landing on the guilty party.

Miho looked the same direction. A few guys stood at the row next to the windows, eyes trained on her. Uchiha Sasuke sat on the row below them, looking back with a scowl. The girls who usually fretted around him were also watching. And with all of this attention, the obvious leader of the little group preened. Bait, then. They wanted a reaction. This was nothing new.

Utatane Tetsuya was the ringleader and, every so often, he made a gambit for attention. His targets shifted every so often and his little posse hung on every ill word. Apparently, he saw an opportunity in Miho.

They were a brave bunch of idiots.

Especially since she was maybe twice their size.

Utterly bored with their immaturity, Miho reached for her sleeve and held up the sewn-on symbol. Her eyes locked with Tetsuya's onyx stare, which were alight with mirth. Oh, so clever. "See this? We literally put 'food' on our clothes. A little reading comprehension and critical thought would really help here." She heard her brother's choked cough somewhere in the rush of blood filling her ears. "But nevermind, your taijutsu shows you're not really one for analysis."

"Whatever, you gigantic tub of lard!"

Miho hadn't even thought of a response to that winner when Ino charged up to them, all short seven-year-old gold-haired fury. Completely agog, the larger girl just looked on in mouth-agape wonder.

"What was that, Tetsuya? It sounds like you were making fun of Miho's weight?"

Tetsuya scoffed, rolling his eyes. "So what?"

"So," Ino simpered. By now, they had the attention of the entire class. When Ino simpered like that, it was usually a warning sign. Whenever she did that, she was usually about to land a killing blow— through word or action. "Feeling inadequate? Is your grandma being too hard on you? Do you really want to start a fight you know you're going to lose?"

"Psh! As if I would lose to—"

"Ino, don't."

Pulling her punch at the last second, the class watched as Ino smiled at Tetsuya sweet as sugar. Her fist loosened into a pat, which she landed on Tetsuya's cheek three times with mock sincerity. Miho had to withhold a laugh at the boy's face. Two killing blows then.

"You're lucky my friend Miho is so nice."

With that very clear line drawn, Ino dropped her hand and walked back in Miho's direction.

The class fell back into their separate conversations, but the attention of Chōji, Shikamaru, and the others at the back of the class remained on Ino. And Miho was really torn between wishing the girl would go back to her seat and being absolutely stunned.

"Later. You promised."

"Later." Miho agreed.

This time, she really meant it.

* * *

She hid it under the guise of a play date, which was just the right amount of manipulation to get past the guards and the Clan Matriarch, who beamed at her arrival to the main house. Ino put on all the bells and whistles of innocence: large guileless eyes, wheedling voice, and wide smile. The picture that everyone wanted to see or expected to see. After all, the Akimichi really wanted good relations with the Yamanaka heir.

Yamanaka Ino thought Akimichi Miho might close the door in her face when she arrived at the Akimichi Estate at half-past four. The other girl was deadpan, save for the slightest hint of grudging respect in her dark eyes. It was that grudging respect that told her she'd won.

And winning was something that Ino _really_ liked to do.

"Let's go to the garden." The unspoken _we can talk there_ was enough to get Ino to follow the gigantic girl outside to the _ens_. "C'mon."

She watched the Akimichi with a critical eye, just like her father was instructing. Nonverbal cues, visual interpretation. Her movements were stiff, like someone who had sore muscles. Her steps were awkward and a bit large. Either intense leg strain or, if Ino's theory was right, something else entirely. Miho's head was held high. She was actually confident. It wasn't some kind of mask at school or bravado.

Way overweight and big, almost twice Ino's size.

Miho's size was intimidating to a lot of Ino's friends, but Ino knew better.

Akimichi Miho never started fights. But she did finish them.

Besides, Morimoto Yumi deserved that punch.

And Tetsuya would deserve whatever came to him.

Miho's heavy footfalls stopped when she reached the back corner of the _en_.

The Akimichi valued closeness to nature in a similar, but different way than the Yamanaka. Her father always said that the Akimichi were the earth— rocks and boulders and dirt. The Yamanaka were plants— flowers and herbs. And the Nara were animals— deer and birds and balance. When Ino saw the rock garden, with lines raked into the sand and big moss-covered boulders, she saw what her father had been saying.

Miho slowly sat down, feet hooking over the ledge of the porch.

Ino sat down next to her a few feet away, turning to prop one knee up. Ino wasn't much one for long silences or beating around the bush. "So?"

"I don't know how to start."

Nightmares.

That's what Ino saw.

Nightmares that she _knew_ were real.

Her— older and prettier and dirtier—on a battlefield. Nara Shikamaru— thin and half-lidded and barely alive— on a battlefield. And Akimichi Chōji— large and terrified and determined— on a battlefield. Her team. She knew that was her team. Other students at the Academy. People she recognized, older and hardened and scarred. Explosions and tears and so, so many people. So, so many dead people.

And unrecognizable things.

Unrecognizable faces and places, and Ino saw it for what it was.

Because Ino was smart. She knew she was smart.

And she knew that it was better to rip the band-aid off rather than let the wound fester.

"You've been reincarnated."

Miho started, head jerking around to face her. The girl's dark eyes were wide and alight with fear. She was obviously afraid of what Ino would say, how she would say it, and _who_ she would say it to. Despite what a lot of people seemed to think, Ino wasn't mean. She didn't like being mean. No, she liked to _fix_. Sometimes that _fixing_ got interpreted as _being mean_, which was just stupid. Ino, first and foremost, considered herself a "fixer."

"I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to tell anybody." She flipped the bangs out of her eyes. The distrust wasn't obvious, but it was there. "Something like that could cause a lot of problems."

"It could."

Ino huffed, losing her patience. "Trust me."

The expression on the Akimichi's face was clearly one of _distrust_, but then the ever-familiar tilt of resignation got the better of her instincts. Internally, Ino ticked another ledger in people she'd turned from 'no' to 'yes.' Somehow though, this victory felt a bit heavier. This wasn't a switch that had no actual consequences. Ino could actually feel the weight of it. Because this was _more. _

"Reincarnation," she prompted.

"Yeah. I guess so. I…only remember so much." Miho's head shook, the mass of curls bouncing. She grimaced. "Last night was…a lot."

"And Konoha has _some _trees."

The other girl snorted, seeming to relax a bit as she leaned back onto her hands. "I remember some of my last life. Bits and pieces. How did you—Did…Did you see?"

"You were freaking out. I tapped in." Ino actually tapped her temple, smiling just a bit. "Dad scolded me for a whole hour. But then he said I was a prodigy for doing that. Because not everybody can." Miho stared at her, waiting for the point. "When I jumped in your head to calm you down, I saw you die."

"Yeah." Her classmate drew in a big breath and held it. Then, with an explosive sigh she let it go. Ino kept quiet, watching. "There was a song playing. Did you hear it?"

"I heard it. I didn't know the language."

"It was playing when I was _driving_ and then the wind knocked— I don't know what the word would be here. Like, a 'motorized cart'? I don't know. But a pipe." The gesture she made toward her side brought back the gruesome memory. Ino nodded, still quiet and still listening. She'd seen it. It was a quick image from the perspective of the person impaled, but she saw it.

A memory.

"I've had that for years. Since I was five and a storm came through. I guess I woke up. I'm still me, but I remember _her._ Parts of her. Pieces."

She let that settle in the air like a blanket. That blanket quietened her voice. Ino could see how _tired_ the other girl was. How long had she known about this other life? How much was she keeping to herself? She'd known for years. It had to be a lot to shoulder alone. The _fixer_ in Ino was grappling.

"Then there's what happened last night."

"What were those battles? Was that me? I know it was me, but was it really me? And what was happening? Do you even know what was happening?"

Snapping her mouth shut, Ino cursed herself.

"Sorry, I just—"

"Please don't apologize. I understand. I've been asking myself the same questions, but I already know the answers." Miho smiled, but it was a sad thing. The Akimichi looked back out at the rocks and the raked sand, trailing her attention over the details until her eyes settled on the clan symbol etched into one of the rocks. "I don't know how much I can say, Ino. And I'm sorry. All of this is…You were just trying to help."

"Well, yeah." Ino nodded magnanimously. "Tell me." Then, knowing that it would take nothing else to get Miho to agree, she held out her hand with the pinky extended. "I swear I won't ever say anything to anyone unless you want me to. But I saw what I saw. And I want to help you. Because that looked terrifying. And if I was scared, then I am sure you are too."

The Akimichi hesitated as if weighing her options. Ino really didn't see how many options there were. Tell her or don't tell her. After a few moments, Miho raised her hand and linked her pinky. The swear was sealed. Ino was bound by it, and she wouldn't break it.

Miho sighed. "I'll tell you what I've figured out so far." She pulled her hand away and seemed to measure her words. "There, our world is a story. Like, a novel or a comic book or a film. If something changes, then the story won't happen the way it should or did. I—" Looking much older than her years, Miho turned. "Ino, this is…This is the future. I think."

"The future?"

It's a moment before Ino gets it. When she gets it, she's on her feet and pointing down at the trodden Akimichi who just runs a weary hand over her face.

"You said this world is a story. It's a cartoon. That was part of the show."

"More or less, I think."

She can tell that it is _more_ rather than _less. _

"There's…gonna be a war?"

Miho grimaced, obviously tossing around the idea of lying. The tells were so obvious that Ino had to roll her eyes. A cast away glance down and to the right. The slightest tremor in her right hand. Lying to a Yamanaka, really? Ino let out a derisive scoff.

"Stop thinking of ways to lie. I just swore. I keep my word." With a sudden burst of determination, she reached out and grabbed the other girl's meaty hand. "I'm not an idiot. That's the future. And it's a war. Do you know what happened?" Miho hesitated. "I saw it, Miho. And you can't convince me I didn't. So, you're either gonna tell me or you're gonna tell me, but I'm not letting this go."

"You sure are stubborn."

It's said like an acquiesce and Ino lets go, sniffing and raising her chin.

"I've been called worse."

Something broke in Miho's eyes and, while young, Ino knows this is going to change her life.

"You're not going to like what you see."

Ino's felt her eyes widen at the implication.

"What you're gonna see, it's gonna haunt you. It haunts me. It's only been a day, but it's there. Constantly."

"What is?"

"What's coming."

* * *

"Go away, you freak!"

Miho's attention perked up at the loudness of that screech. Rolling her upper body around to the corner of the building, she watched the lunchtime exchange. She was at her usual lunchtime spot in the shadows of the school, giving Chōji his time with his friends. The ones who she usually sat with had finished eating already, only having to eat half what she did.

Everything was "as usual" except for two things:

Yamanaka Ino was sitting a couple feet away, munching on her onigiri. Unlike the others Miho normally sat with, Ino paced herself through her lunch to time it just right with Miho's eating. A small gesture, but one that Miho noticed the third time Ino had planted herself at her left side with a look that communicated a very clear dare.

Maybe, just maybe, Miho's grudging respect grew a bit to actual admiration. As foolhardy and straightforward as Ino was, the girl was also dead-set on _making changes. _One of those changes seemed to be her friend group and outward attitude.

It probably shouldn't have surprised her to much when Ino declared that they were friends.

"After all," Ino added. "I know you better than anyone."

After Ino's mind walk, she was right. It was a rudimentary mind walk, one that her own clan would have fits over if they found out, but it was enough.

"We don't have time to waste."

"We're _seven_."

"Then we have— what?— ten years?"

Once Yamanaka Ino decided something, there was no convincing her otherwise. Miho just shrugged, giving a tired smile around her burger.

The shouted insults that broke through the normal calm of lunchtime brought attention to the second disturbance in "normal."

_I sense a disturbance in the Force._

Miho jerked at the echoed voice in her head. It'd been happening with often-enough frequency that Ino had developed a name for it. "Echoes" is what she called them. Miho had just stared at her, not quite willing to give the intrusions a pithy title.

"You're such a loser!"

Naruto.

He was standing only a few feet away from the boys who had insulted her a few days before. In his too-big hand-me-down, the little Uzumaki looked even smaller and more fragile. His expression was heart-rending. Miho felt sick at the way he seemed to shake in front of them. He wasn't quite what she remembered.

The Uzumaki Naruto she remembered from _there_ was brash and loud and—

"Ridiculous," Ino muttered. "This is ridiculous. Utatane is really pissing me off."

Ino didn't know about Uzumaki Naruto, aside from what glimpses there were of him in her memories. There was enough, but not enough. The bare minimum to know he would become a war hero and a powerful figure. Enough to now he was a _main character_. Not enough to know _everything_.

Miho, as much as she trusted Ino (and she really, really did at this point), couldn't bring herself to put her friend in danger with _all _of what she knew.

To show her or tell her _some things_ would be to condemn her.

The memories that kept flooding in: the plot points, climaxes, plot twists, character deaths. The foreshadowing. The surprising re-emergences and redemptions.

Blindly, Miho reached out and smacked Ino's arm with a low 'shush.'

One of the boys stood and tossed something at him. When he didn't move to defend himself, Miho felt her vision begin to tunnel.

She couldn't seem to draw a breath.

_Not again. Please, not again._

Images flashed in her mind—images from her nightmares.

Blond hair, red eyes. Blue eyes. Red eyes. Black flames.

A loud roar and a crimson moon.

An explosion.

Miho was on her hands and knees, fighting to gulp air. Her entire body felt as if it were on fire, aching and burning. Ino was beside her in an instant, whispering urgent reassurances. By now, she recognized the signs.

Struggling to her feet, Miho tripped slightly in her haste to get to him. Her knee skinned the ground, but no blood came from the ripped skin. She had developed calluses long ago. Now that she could speak honestly with someone, Ino had pointed out something Miho should've long-since noticed. She fell so often because her mind had moments where it remembered a much larger body.

_"You'll get used to it again," _she said.

She had no idea why she felt driven to defend him. She never had before. She'd just let it roll by. She _just let it roll by_ and that made her _sick_. She just knew that she had to do_ something_. Now. She should have done something before she knew what role Naruto would play, who he would be, what he was dealing with.

Miho was ashamed. And that made her move faster.

"Stop it."

In her peripheral vision, she could see Chōji standing. Shikamaru right behind him. The Inuzuka kid was still sitting on the ground.

Her attention focused on Tetsuya and his posse. Unconsciously, she adjusted her stance. Lee's voice said it helped with balance. She wished Lee was out with her. She'd feel better about all of this.

"Stop."

She grabbed her potato chip bag from her vest and stuffed one into her mouth. It was a calming sensation. The salt distracted her from the hornet's nest she just kicked.

Miho glanced over to where Naruto stood.

He looked absolutely dumbfounded.

(Like the expression Chōji wore when she knocked Yumi out last year.)

"You really need to knock it off." She said through the remnants of potato in her mouth. Her chin rose and she looked over to where the blond kid stood. She was a whole head taller than him. Shifting herself until she stood in front of him, her focus fell on Tetsuya once more. "We're all gonna be comrades, right? Why pick on people that might be—"

Instinct alone made Miho grabbed the back of Tetsuya's head and jerked it downward as his punch glanced off her shoulder. He landed in a heap on her right side, face in the dirt.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Letting out a breath, Miho stepped back to let Teacher Iruka by.

"I— I was— She pushed me!"

"Like hell she did!" Ino screeched, skidding up to her side. "You jerk!"

Miho shook her head.

"Don't curse, Ino." Their teacher admonished lightly, but there was no real bite to it. His attention fell to Tetsuya. "You need to work on your speed if you want to land a hit on Miho." Teacher Iruka noted with a sardonic tone as he hauled the kid up. Miho felt her ears warm. "And you won't be landing any hits outside of taijutsu spars. Detention. Today." Iruka dragged Tetsuya away by an ear while his posse followed along under their teacher's withering glare.

A little off-kilter, Miho turned and looked down at the still-stunned blond. Ignoring the sensation of memories, images, and stories mapping onto him, she did the first thing she could think of. She held out a hand. "Hi. I'm Akimichi Miho. You know my brother."

"You're meant to shake it," Ino added with a sarcastic tone.

Instead of stunned, he'd transitioned into outright flabbergasted. His mouth opened and closed as he stared at her hand. Seeing that he wasn't going to take it, she raised it up to rake through her curls and forced an uncomfortable laugh, looking surreptitiously toward her brother and Shikamaru for help. Shikamaru, of course, was no help.

Chōji smiled, waved, and ate a chip. His brows rose.

That was a good idea.

Her brother was a sweetheart genius.

"Wanna eat with me? With us?"

Jerking a thumb over her shoulder toward her half-eaten lunch, Miho grinned. Ino shot her a look, but said nothing. Miho knew Chōji had been feeding the Uzumaki for months already. This was something she could do. Something that might…make a difference.

"I've got lots of food. I got to. And Mama's the best cook in town."

She offered him her food.

Food was the lifeblood of the Akimichi.

When he didn't respond, she felt concern grip her. It was like he didn't know what to say to that kind of question. Miho realized, through the roaring currents of still images in her mind and witnessed aggression throughout the years, Naruto honestly didn't know what to do with kindness.

None-too-subtle, he jerked his head around to Chōji, Shikamaru, and Kiba.

He was looking to them— to make sure she could be trusted.

"Well, freakin' answer her already. If you don't eat it, I will. An hell, don't leave it to the Yamanaka! She wouldn't want it to affect her girly figure!" Kiba grinned with a wave of his hand. Ino's red-hot rage was crackling in the air and Miho sighed. Kiba acted like he didn't notice. "Chōji's mom always has good food!"

Miho smiled slightly, but decided to give Naruto an out if he wanted. "If you don't want it, that's seriously—"

"Y-Yeah! Hell yeah, I do!" The blond shouted, pumping his fist. "That'd be awesome! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I definitely want to eat your food!"

"Cool!" Miho nodded.

"Just you wait, dog breath." Ino threatened. "You'll see what this _girly figure_ can do. Then, you'll get your life together."

Ino turned on her heel and marched toward the shade where their lunches sat. Naruto hesitated and Miho sent him a long-suffering grin. "C'mon. She's not the patient sort and now she's riled."

"Just…" Miho stopped at Kiba's loud voice, looking back. "Just bring it all over here."

Over there?

But she wanted Chōji to have—

"Troublesome." She didn't miss Shikamaru's half-smile or the way he actually shifted over in the shade of the tree. The movement wasn't necessary, but it was pointed. And it was about as effusive of a gesture that he could possibly make. Miho was thrown a bit off-kilter by it. "Hurry up already." Chōji absently patted his friend's shoulder, beaming.

"I'll help!"

A grin pulled at her lips.

* * *

It'd been three weeks. Three weeks since Ino had become her only ally, her friend. Every so often, Miho regretted letting Ino in as she did. Ino would never live without the threat of war now. She'd never live without the foreknowledge. Miho wondered if she should have just lied, said it was all made-up nightmares. But the selfish part of her…wanted someone else to know. The selfish part of her was glad Ino knew, saw it with her own 'eyes.'

Three weeks since everything started cascading.

More and more images, knowledges, and stories.

She recalled more and more, things that she would never tell Ino unless she _had_ to.

The Kyuubi Attack. Naruto's parents. Obito and his sharingan. The kids from Amegakure. The death of the Third Hokage. The attack on Konoha. Gaara of the Sand and the eventual Kazekage. These things were flashes, plot points. There was so much more she knew was there. Things that she didn't want to remember, but things that she _needed _to remember.

Each a domino in a hundred dominoes, tipping from one thing to the next.

She could visualize it.

And the end result was always the same— an explosion.

Miho was jerked awake by the alarm and her heart stuttered into her throat. Hurriedly, she threw her legs over the side of her bed, stumbling for her door. When she threw it open, Chōji did the same across the hall. Their father appeared at the end of the hallway a scant second later, eyes sharp and brows drawn. Fear lurches through her as she hurried to Chōji's side.

"Ayumi, lockdown. I'll seal it up."

Her eyes connected with her father's for a single moment before he thundered down hall and around the corner. Miho's entire body _ached _and she reached for Chōji's hand. Her mother appeared then, pulling her robe over her chest as she _moved_. Determination and barely-wrangled fear was heavy in every step.

"Both of you, come with me."

She moved in front of her brother, who fell into step behind her, and she kept a firm grip on his hand. If her father was sealing the estate, then that meant something utterly _terrifying_ had happened. The wailing siren stopped.

Her mother went still for a moment as the beeps signaled.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Level Five.

Level Five was the worst-case scenario short of an evacuation. It was a shelter-in-place warning. When they arrived to the warded archive room at the back of the house, two of her cousins were already there waiting. Chihiro and Maruten nodded respectfully toward her mother, ushering them inside.

"Any idea what's happening?"

"Not a clue," Chihiro confessed with a tense expression. "It's jonin and up."

High security clearance. Miho looked over to her brother, who was watching with wide eyes. Swallowing down her anxiety, Miho moved to him again, taking his hands. "It's alright." He probably didn't notice how she positioned herself in the room, but one glance at her cousin told her that the action didn't go unnoted.

Chihiro nodded, returning her focus to outside the warded room.

It was hours before the all-clear was sounded. By then, the sun had already begun to rise. The faint singing of birds could be heard through the stillness of the Akimichi estate.

Their mother sighed, rubbing her face and eyes with barely concealed weariness. After a long moment, she pushed herself up from the archive table. Chihiro and Maruten appeared in the doorway, removing the seals that secured the panic room.

Miho caught sight of Maruten's ashen face. Usually, his jowls and cheeks were a bright red and permanently blushed below his purple clan markings. That blush was gone. He gestured for their mother to approach, a look telling Miho and Chōji to stay where they were.

A few whispered words and Miho watched as the strength seemed to go out of her mother's legs. Miho'd only just started forward when her mother caught herself on the doorway.

Her mother's shoulders were shaking. There were tears in Maruten's eyes. Terrified at the possibilities, Miho looked to Chihiro.

The woman stepped past the Akimichi matriarch and smiled sadly. "Your father's okay. It's not that."

Relieved, Miho fell onto the bench beside Chōji, who was sniffling. With his big heart, she wasn't sure if he was crying because their family was crying or out of relief to hear their Papa was safe. Chihiro lowered herself to kneel beside Chōji, speaking quiet reassurances to him while rubbing his back.

"Do they know…who did it?"

Miho's attention snapped back to the doorway.

Maruten pulled in a large breath, making his large chest seem even larger. When he exhaled, every single bit of his strength seemed to leave him. The tears were no longer restrained and they fell down over his cheeks. Miho edged toward the door bit by bit. "Doesn't make any sense. I…I knew him. I-I've known him since we— This doesn't…" His head lowered and he stared at nothing. "Itachi wouldn't do this."

Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi.

The bile is in Miho's throat before she can stop it. Gagging, she stumbled over to the corner of the archive, between age-old bookcases. She had just enough presence of mind to aim for a clearing in the floor. There's a hand at her back in an instant and Chōji's frightened yelp in the background. Miho could hear every sound, every shift of feet on the ground.

A cold sweat broke over her.

It was the police force first, wasn't it?

Parents kneeling, waiting for death.

When her mother later asked why she got sick, Miho lied.

"The nerves," she said. "I w-was w-w-worried about Papa."

An entire clan…gone.

She'd seen it. On a sunny afternoon two weeks before, when a military police officer stopped to speak with her father while she and Chōji munched on takoyaki, she saw the fan on his shoulder. She'd seen flashes of red, two bodies on the floor in pools of blood, and the scream of a child. Crows. Chōji had asked her if she was choking.

She'd shoved the images aside, told him she was fine. Everything was fine.

Everything was fine.

But she'd seen it.

And she did nothing.


	4. Part I: Hypodiegesis

The air was cold and sharp, scraping the bottom of her lungs like a barrage of senbon. She could barely breathe. Her fingertips tingled and she couldn't feel her toes anymore. Her chest felt as if it were vibrating. A wild, rampant, and nervous sort of energy trapped there. If she were standing still, she would be trembling.

Her feet thundered against the ground, hitting the familiar dirt of the training field. There was an odd sort of thickness in the air, warm and thick. She was wading through it, sweat coating her face, on her upper lip and down the sides of her throat. Her usual brown t-shirt was drenched, sopping.

Her hair was wet and matted to the sides of her face down her neck. Hers was a clumsy sort of trot, feet barely lifted from the ground as she continued to move.

"Miho."

Lee. She didn't look at him, keeping her eyes forward as she moved.

It was twilight, the sun just past the horizon. The shade of the mountain and trees made it cooler. Hours. Miho lost count of her laps around two hundred five. She'd beat her record. She felt like she was going to die, but she beat her record. That had to count for something. That had to be a step in the right direction. It was an accomplishment, right?

"You need to rest."

Her feet got caught up underneath her just a half a lap later. Her eyes squeezed shut, preparing to meet the hard earth once more. For the fourth or fifth time in as many hours. Each time, the fall was shattering. Each time, she clawed her way back up. The falls were punishment and they hurt, but she had to be stronger.

She was caught by the arm and jerked upright. Lee smiled, eyes carefully looking her over. For a moment, his attention lingered on her scraped knees. Finally, he nodded his head, jerking it to the right to signal that they should keep moving. "Focus on your feet hitting the ground. Just one foot at a time, Miho! One foot at a time! Let's go!"

Every step she took felt like a new miracle unfolding.

It was everything she could do to keep moving, just to keep moving. Her body was telling her to stop.

Everything within her, every fiber, was calling for her to quit, to give it up.

Still, she kept moving, battling through every forward step. She could make it.

Because this was _nothing._

_Nothing_.

This was nothing compared to the pain those people had suffered. This was nothing compared to what was coming.

Even as she thought these things, her legs started to give out. Her right leg failed first and she tried to correct with her left, which lost its strength under her weight. A moment later, she collapsed. Lee only just managed to grab her before she struck the earth, rolling her to her back.

Miho breathed, heaving in as much oxygen as she could as she stared blearily up at the treetops.

If tears were blurring her vision, then she didn't acknowledge it.

"Stay here." Lee said. "Don't move. Rest."

She closed her eyes, listening as Lee set to his katas. One strike, two against the nearby stump. His kicks were harder than usual.

Ino was going to skin her alive if she found out. Luckily, Lee and Ino never crossed paths. But the moment they did was the moment that Miho knew she was doomed. Both were powerful personalities and both seemed fully capable of putting Miho in her place. Lee operated through guilt, or "motivation." Ino worked through guilt, or "annoyance." Either way, Miho never stood a chance.

When Lee lay on the ground next to her nearly an hour later when the sun was gone and the stars were overhead, he was quiet.

"Lee, I feel guilty for something I couldn't change."

He hummed, obviously hearing the emotions in the trembling of her voice. His right hand gripped her left as they lay in the grass. "Why couldn't you change it?"

"I'm seven. I'm…nothing."

"You won't always be seven. And you're _not _nothing." He was quiet for a long while, but then he tightened his hold on her hand. "I know what you mean though. We are not powerful enough yet. Make yourself into something more. That way, when you need to change something in the future, you can't say that you're nothing."

Rolling over onto her side to face him, Miho propped herself up on one arm. "Even then, I might not be powerful enough."

Lee mirrored the movement, staring at her in the dim light from the nearby streetlamps. It always startled her how Lee could look at a person and seem like he saw the very deepest part of them. "We try. If it is not enough, then we just keep trying." Pursing his lips, he looked over her tear-wet face. "I will not ask you what happened. But I am here if you need me. Always."

"I—"

"However, you must not train like this again. How long has it been since you ate?"

"Two hours."

Lee startled upright, eyes going impossibly wider. "Two hours? Oh, my dear friend!" He scrambled to his knees and hooked an arm under her. "You must feel weak! Hold on! Let's get you some food! You must be starving! Let's go! Come on!" With seemingly little effort, he hauled Miho to her feet with absolutely no help from her. He threw an arm under her shoulders.

Miho let herself be manhandled away from the training field. Her legs felt like jelly, burning and tingling. She'd beaten her endurance record. Soon, she'd add chakra into her strength training when she began Akimichi Clan training after the New Year. Chakra training was first, then…Then, she really would make progress. Until that happened— Lee steered her toward a street stall for takoyaki.

"Lee, seriously, this—"

"If you want to change things in the future, then you have to eat now. You have to eat! Let us go!"

When she was little, her father used to tell her and her brother a story. He set Chōji on one knee and her on the other. She could remember the beat of the taiko drums from the autumn festival outside of the estate's main gates.

"Inside each and every shinobi and kunoichi, there is a battle raging. Two ninja battle for supremacy. One of those ninja is strength, courage, goodness, faith, and hope." He'd looked out upon the gathered Akimichi, gesturing outward. Miho remembered following his gesture with her eyes. "The other ninja is disappointment, fear, anger, disloyalty, hate, and despair."

"Which ninja will win, Pa? The bad ninja or the good ninja?" Chōji had asked.

Her father had run a meaty hand over her black curls and he smiled broadly. He reached over and patted Chōji's cheek with fondness. There was a rumbling chuckle and stood from the ledge of the en, moving to kneel in front of her and her brother. Miho could remember his voice rising over the drums. She could still remember his answer even as Lee shouted his encouragements from her side.

"The one you feed."

Lee scooted a plate of takoyaki toward her. "Eat up." His jaw was tensed and Miho dipped forward to get a better look at his face. He held her eyes for a long moment. He looked worried, concerned, and just a bit frightened. "Do not become so consumed that you do not eat again. I…I could not bear it."

Miho dreamed of the wreck that night. Screaming metal and winds. She could feel rain rushing in through the broken windows. Her foot was wedged against the gas pedal, revving the engine as the tires spun overhead. For a few seconds, it seemed like the world was silent. Then, it wasn't.

The wind lashed dirt and debris against the car. The Jeep shifted and she screamed. There was blood in her nose and her head was pounding. She grew colder as the winds drew away until there was nothing but silence and the radio.

_Damn the dark. _

_ Damn the light. _

And she prayed. That her students would have good lives—because they were all so smart and so important and so needed. That her grandmother would be okay— because she'd lost everyone and still kept living, even if she was tired of it. That her mother would be okay— because her mother, more than anyone, deserved happiness and joy, not the grief she was constantly victim to. There was no way she would make it out of that wreck alive. She tried though. Fought it as long as she could manage.

Until she couldn't.

There and then, she lived her life well. She didn't have any regrets, except the people she left behind. She worked hard, overcame her own difficulties, found friends, lost them, learned and learned and learned and then passed that knowledge on to the next generation. She passed stories down to her students. Some took them with rolling eyes or exasperated glances at their phones. Others though…

_"We're gonna take these stories you trusted us with and we're gonna do something with 'em." _

Miho's eyes opened and she lay on her bed. Quickly, she turned to bury her face in her pillow to let out a sob. As much as Miho valued knowledge, this was knowledge she wished she didn't have. Remembering their faces, her own face, the memories of that other life. She shuddered and grasped the edges of her pillow for dear life.

A second life.

She didn't want it to be lost to _what if_s and_ if only_s_._

She didn't want to waste it. A whole life, every chance to make a difference, to change the story.

Every chance to write her own as well.

* * *

"Little Miho, dumpling, come here." Uncle Chojiro called as Miho arrived home from another day at the Academy. When she glanced up from the worn moss-outlined stone path, she could see two of the Clan Elders lounging on the _en_ of the ceremonial complex. Elder Chojiro held out a hand, inviting her to join them. Beside him, Elder Ayumu set aside her beadwork. She'd seen Elder Ayumu earlier in the week for her weekly weigh-in and check-up. The woman smiled, patting her arm with knobbed fingers.

"You look a bit out of sorts, Little Miho."

Settling between her Great Aunt ang Great Uncle, Miho grinned when Elder Ayumu threaded her time-gnarled hands through her hair. There was nothing she loved more than having her hair played with. "I am just tired, Elders."

"Tired, hm? From long training sessions, surely?" Elder Ayumu's dark timber was comforting and a bit teasing. Miho smiled a bit more, seeing the mirth in Elder Chojiro's hazel eyes. He always seemed to be happy. Her father called him a 'jolly goof of an old man' and Miho couldn't think of a better description. "Let me braid your hair, sweet bun. You can tell us about your training."

Her grandmother and grandfather passed away long before Miho was born. Elders Ayumu and Chojiro were as close to grandparents as she could get. The gentle way that Great Aunt Ayumu pulled her curls into patterns and the easy humor of Great Uncle Chojiro made her relax for the first time in weeks. The Academy was full of reminders— empty seats and too many ways she could screw up.

But Miho was trying.

"I'm improving my endurance first. I won't be able to do _anything _well if I don't have the energy to practice it a lot."

Clan-based training hadn't started yet for either her or Chōji, but Miho knew it was coming soon as the New Year approached. Another three months until then. That gave her just enough time to prepare for weight training. Other Akimichi that had her build before did better with endurance and strength-based training. She'd read it in an Akimichi training manual from the first generation of Konoha-loyal Akimichi.

"My caloric limitations mean that I have to have even greater endurance, right?"

There was a smile in Elder Ayumu's voice scratchy voice. "You have sorted that one well." She hummed, finishing one plait along the left side of her head. Miho tilted her head to the right as prompted. It was only after Elder Ayumu finished the second plait that she stopped. "You should be able to maintain a minimum weight necessary for the Spinach and Curry Pills."

Miho spun, eyes wide. The old woman swatted her shoulder.

"Stay still! I am not done with your hair."

"I can use the techniques?"

"That is not what I said, sweet bun."

Confused, Miho looked to Elder Chojiro for a clearer answer. A gnarled hand turned her back around so that her hair was accessible. Seeming sympathetic, her uncle shrugged. He raised his pipe to his lips as he watched the exchange with some amused exasperation.

"The Three Colored Pills are not tied to our techniques. They are a supplement boosting our power through our body fat. Your build does not allow for heavy-weight clan techniques within healthy limitations, but you are maintaining a good weight for the Spinach and Curry Pills. If you maintain this body fat percentage— around 35% or so— then you can manage the first two pills. The red Chili Pepper pill can only be used with 50% body fat or higher. You cannot achieve that while healthy."

Something loosened in Miho's chest.

It felt like a victory, even if it was just access to the first two pills. Those two pills could make all the difference.

It was something.

It was _something_ after weeks feeling as if everything was stalled.

Elder Ayumu started on a third plait down the center of her head. "Your father will begin training Little Chōji in the New Year. He will inherit all of the Akimichi ninjutsus and taijutsus. It will take him much time and we do know his mind. Chōji will want you to learn as well. However, though you cannot do the most fat-dependent techniques, you can uptake two major components of our clan training. And then, of course, one for which you seem destined."

"Destined? Destined, how?"

"You are speaking too mysteriously, Ayumu."

Miho turned. This time, she didn't earn a smack on the shoulder. Approaching from the rock garden was Great Uncle Torifu. He limped along, a majority of his weight resting on his steel cane. Jumping up, Miho sank into a bow. That action did earn her a squawk from Elder Ayumu, who grabbed the sleeve of Miho's yukata to jerk her back into place again. "Good evening, Great Elder Torifu!"

Chuckling, he waved a arthritis-bent hand as if to tell her to relax. His attention cut to Chojiro, who smirked around his pipe. Great Elder Torifu was the oldest living member of the clan and was one of the first Akimichi to serve in the Elite Guard. Miho had only ever spoken to him a handful of times as he often traveled to the capital in service to the Daimyo. His strength was legendary. Her father told stories about him at bedtime, about how he lifted an entire mountain once to save a town from flooding and how he took out an entire platoon in the Second Great Shinobi War. Iwagakure still had him listed as "Flee On Sight" at seventy-two.

"Three hundred laps in an hour. Two hundred push-ups in an hour. One hundred and fifty-two pull-ups in an hour."

Her muscles seized, breath catching in her throat.

"Able to lift your own body weight."

She had only _just _been able to achieve one hundred pull ups. With Lee's endless encouragement and Ino's reinforcement (see: _threatening_). That meant he had been watching her training session that weekend. It was the only time she'd managed to beat her record.

"At seven years old," Elder Ayumu added with a smile.

"I respect that."

Miho pulled in a breath. "You— You've seen me…You've seen me training with Lee?"

Elder Chojiro puffed his pipe. "And with the Yamanaka heiress."

"Of course." Uncle Torifu responded, mild as milk. "You are the next generation of our clan. You and Chōji will carry on our legacy. We all know your attributes, your skills. I am impressed with your…tenacity." Miho felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. When she'd been told she couldn't do the clan techniques, she hadn't expected anything more. "I am an old man, Little Miho. These two old cows are also senile."

Uncle Chojiro nearly shrieked out a protest before his wife smacked the back of his head. Miho swallowed down a laugh.

"Bōjutsu." Elder Torifu stepped forward, leaning on his cane. His eyes were narrowed, analyzing her reactions. "The bō is a weapon that requires dedication. It is not merely a stick to swing around. It requires strength to be effective." Miho stared up at him, barely breathing with the gravity of his words. "I want to pass our bō techniques to you."

"But Chōji—"

"Has no interest in weapons. If he wishes to take up the bō in the future, then this will be just as well. You will have someone to spar with." Elder Ayumu rested a hand on Miho's shoulder. "We have cleared our discussion about this with your father. Why is it you think we are sitting out here, waiting for you to return home, sweet bun?"

"Think on it, Little Miho." Elder Torifu smiled. "This is not an easy decision. I am a tough teacher, one of the toughest. There are former students that can attest to this. You'll have to work hard. Harder than you've worked thus far. It is very possible you will hate me by the time you master the bō. Think on this and let me know at the festival dinner this weekend."

Miho nodded, snapping her mouth shut. She didn't even realize she'd been gaping. "I— Thank you! I don't need to think on it! I will do it!"

He chuckled, nodding. "Good, good. Now, Ayumu— You are still terrible at braids. What did you do to my poor student's hair? Come here, child, and never let my daughter touch your hair again."

* * *

The tenth of October was a day for celebration, honoring the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage with festivities. Miho always thought the day was a spectacle— stalls upon stalls of succulent foods, games, and vendors. When she was little, she could see it all from her father's shoulder. Chōji would hold three sticks of dango in each hand, smiling and laughing. When she'd steer her father toward the yakitori stalls, he'd boom a great laugh and buy her as much as she wanted.

It was a doubly exciting day for her— after all, it was her birthday.

After the afternoon and early evening festivities, the Akimichi always held their own festival dinner. A cookout in the Akimichi ceremonial complex, where foods were laid out. Each branch family came, supplied foods. Even her cousin Chihiro took up her mother's tradition of bringing sweet buns. She could remember her father's announcement one year:

_"Today, we celebrate life. Let's always remain grateful for it." _

It wasn't until she was older that she noticed the sadness that underpinned the day. Every so often, when she was littler, she could see tears in her father's eyes. Or sadness in the yakitori stall owner's eyes. Occasionally, she felt this tension in the air that didn't fit with the joyous excitement of a festival.

It wasn't until the memories worked their way into her consciousness that she understood _why_.

The tenth of October was a day of mourning wrapped in a celebration.

Miho stared at herself in the brown yukata and burgundy obi, trying to reconcile the things she knew with the things she remembered. This festival celebrated the defeat of the Nine-Tailed Fox and mourned the Fourth Hokage and all those that died in the attack. This festival was on her birthday, which meant that she was born the day of the Kyuubi attack.

It had never really seemed all that strange before.

Something clicked.

Something clicked that should have clicked _much sooner._ Miho did the math in her head, tracing the curls as they trailed past her shoulder. For once, they were tamed into submission by her mother.

Her mother.

Her mother, who'd laid out her new outfit with such care before Miho had even awakened. Her mother, who was cooking up all of her favorite dishes.

For her birthday.

Chōji turned eight in May.

Five months, give or take a few days.

Five months.

Miho felt as if the wind was knocked out of her, but she didn't quite believe where her thoughts were taking her. Because there were too many potential answers. Too many explanations. Her mother could have gotten pregnant immediately after childbirth. She could have been premature.

Yes, that was possible.

Right?

"Woah! Miho, you look pretty!"

Chōji's smile was so large that his eyes were squeezed shut by his cheeks. He was in the doorway to her room, a paper in his hands. He was done-up too, in a button-up white shirt with a clan-red bowtie. Miho sank to the bed and pulled on her shoes, taking the paper he handed to her.

"It's your favorite flower. Ino told me. I got you something else too, but it's for the dinner." He grinned, settling onto the edge of her bed with her.

Miho looked at the watercolor sketch, slightly flabbergasted that her brother's drawing skills had come so far. Then again, he and Shikamaru went to their hiding places every day. Chōji drew nearly every other day.

The thick ruffles of the peony were a pale pink. It was clear that the drawing took hours to finish, each color blended carefully into the next. She could see fingerprints— her brother's fingerprints— in the watercolors.

"Thank you, Chōji." She stood and moved to tack the drawing onto the wall above her desk.

"Mom's got all the good stuff downstairs. Then we get to go to the festival!" His eyes lit up even more, practically glistening with the promise of good festival food. "Shikamaru was complaining about coming tonight. Said parties are a drag." Chōji laughed fondly. Miho rolled her eyes. "He just doesn't know how _we _party."

"I asked Aunt Emiko to make pudding since Ino's coming. She'll probably cry."

And crying wasn't really Ino's thing.

But her friend _really _loved pudding.

Chōji smiled broadly again and Miho mirrored it, taking his hand. "Let's get today started!"

The next several hours were a blur of food, family, and the chaos of the festival. As was traditional, her father hauled Miho and Chōji onto his shoulders as they waded out into the crowds. Many of the stalls were owned by the Akimichi clan and many others got their supplies from Akimichi suppliers. Every so often, her father would point out a particular food and note its origin.

"The radishes at this stall were grown at an Akimichi farm south of here." Papa informed. Chōji munched happily on a stick of dango, nodding along to the orientation. It didn't quite seem like Chōji had made the leap to _why_ their father was pointing out the origin of every food.

"Papa, do you negotiate the trade deals between Konoha vendors and Akimichi suppliers?"

If her father stumbled beneath her, then she said nothing about it. He boomed a warm laugh. "That's right, Miho! That's right! I have final say, but it is really a committee led by Akimichi Chiasa that manages the day-to-day." He jostled the shoulder she was perched on, grinning up at her with such energy that his eyes creased shut. "How did you figure that one out, little lady?"

'Little lady' was a new nickname. Miho scrunched her nose at it. "I read a book about Akimichi trade deals. Like how Elder Torifu handles all Akimichi suppliers to the capital. The Daimyo has held a supplier contract with our family for centuries."

It was, after all, how their family rose to prominence.

"My smart girl. Very good, Miho!"

He set Miho and Chōji down by a game stall, moving to speak with Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku at a nearby grill. Miho took Chōji's hand, guiding him to where Shikamaru was hiding. Despite herself, she couldn't help but to laugh at his put-upon expression. Chōji sank onto the ground next to his friend, patting his shoulder in comfort.

Miho stayed standing, leaning against the tree.

"Tired already, Shikamaru?"

He grunted.

"Bet I could wake you up with a food pun."

He groaned.

Chōji smiled around a dango stick.

"It's a good one. Just thought of it this morning." Pausing for a bit of gravitas, Miho shook out her arms and affected the air of Elder Chojiro after maybe-too-much sake at a family dinner. "What did the carrot say to cheer you on?" A pause. Shikamaru might've cursed under his breath. "I'm rooting for you." Without waiting for their laughter, Miho giggled, rolling to the side a bit on the bark. "I'm _rooting_ for you!"

"What a drag. This is too much." He sighed, throwing an arm over his eyes to protect him from the sun filtering through the leaves. It was scantly past four. Still a few hours to go. "And a party after this? An_ after_ party? Seriously?" Miho could feel the accusation. After all, it was _definitely_ her fault.

She only shrugged, keeping an eye out for Ino in the crowds. Ino hated her jokes. She'd be fun to rile.

If her father was here, then she had—

A familiar head of blond hair darted into an alleyway behind one of the karaage stands.

Miho watched him disappear into the shadows.

Then, with dread that tore at her stomach, she watched as two men and a woman followed after him.

The tenth of October.

She ran.

She ran before she even realized she was running. Her heart was pounding with frightening force as she threw herself past the karaage stall into the alleyway. Her nice sandals slipped in the mud and Miho caught herself before she careened into the bricks. The passage intersected with another alley and when she turned the corner, Miho skidded to a stop.

Naruto— _too bright, too kind, too loud Naruto_— was on the ground, holding his stomach. There were no tears on his cheeks from what she could see about ten paces away. He was in pain though, eyes squeezed shut.

"— showing your damn face here, you demon!" The shinobi reared back his leg.

Miho _moved._

Not fast enough. Nowhere near fast enough. The kick landed and Naruto cried out and Miho was kneeling beside him a second later. Her hands fluttered at his face and shoulders. "Naruto? Naruto, are you—"

"ARE YOU STUPID? GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!"

A powerful arm locked around her waist, hauling her back and away. The panic was all-consuming, fear tearing through all of her senses. She was held aloft, feet off the ground, pinned to an attacker's chest. Her eyes went to Naruto again. His wide eyes were staring up at her. Terror.

And, God, it tore her apart.

Because today was his birthday.

_Why is he outside today? Why— _

Miho struggled, grabbing at the man's arms to wrench them away. She knew taijutsu, but nothing that would work against a chunin. Nothing that would work against someone so much bigger than— Miho saw that the woman was approaching Naruto now, hands fisted. Naruto cowered back, but there was resignation there. Like he was _used_ to this.

"NO!"

Jerking her head back, she felt it snap the man's nose. He dropped her like a sack of potatoes and Miho felt her entire spine jar with the impact. Her right knee took a lot of the force. Before she could even recognize the pain, she scrambled across the filthy alleyway. Her pretty yukata was ruined with mud and trash water.

She placed herself in front of Naruto on her left knee.

"Stop! Stop."

Miho held out her right hand, using the other to feel for her friend. She was twice his size, covering him completely. Blocking him completely. The message was clear. They'd have to go through her first. She could feel Naruto gripping the sleeve of her yukata. His hand was shaking. He was shaking.

All at once, the three attackers dropped. Like their strings had been cut. A single figure stood in their place, a mask covering his face.

ANBU.

What little color was in Miho's face faded away. She felt pale. ANBU. ANBU terrified her. The masks, the anonymity. Still, she stared up at the Dog mask and silver hair.

And she tried desperately to _not know_ who was behind that mask.

But she knew.

And knowing was dangerous.

"Th-Thank you." The tremble in her voice made her realize that her vision was growing blurry. Turning and rising to her knees, Miho looked at Naruto. Her right knee smarted under the pressure, but she ignored it. "Are you okay? They kicked you. They—They—" Leaning down, she pressed a hand to his right side while he continued to stare.

He grimaced at the pressure to his ribs but otherwise didn't react, never once taking his eyes off her.

Not reacting…

Dissociation?

Panic attack?

Then, Miho gasped as he collided into her, knocking her back onto her tail. Scrambling to stay upright, Miho sighed in relief when a leg pressed up against her back. The ANBU had steadied her with his shin.

Naruto was sobbing. Sobbing with so much pain and fear and hurt and relief that Miho felt her own anxiety and panic reach a breaking point. Holding on tight, Miho pressed her forehead into his shoulder and just cried with him. What else could she do?

It was less than a minute later that she heard her father's voice rise above the din of the festival.

"MIHO! MIHO!"

Raising her head, Miho turned to see him skid into the alleyway. Gone was the man who was at-ease and laid-back at the festival.

This was the legendary Akimichi Chōza of the internationally-feared Ino-Shika-Cho.

She cradled Naruto, raising her head more to watch her father approach.

She knew— goodness, did she know— that this could go terribly. Her father could blame Naruto for this. He could shove him away, curse him. To her mind, the mind that knew too much (way too much), there were so many people that failed Naruto, did him wrong. Her father was one of them.

Her grip on the blond tightened, dirty knuckles clenched into his shirt. Despite knowing that she should trust her father, her eyes narrowed at his approach.

Naruto didn't deserve this.

She'd avoided him.

Unconsciously or consciously.

Consciously.

Never more than meals at school or a casual interference in bullying.

Never anything more.

Though she knew better…

because she was scared.

As her father approached, his hands rising palm-up in a sign for peace and his anger hidden behind cool assessment, and as his teammates appeared behind him, taking in the scene with practiced detachment, Miho felt her heart sputter in her chest.

She hadn't done anything to change the story of the Uchihas. There wasn't much she could do if she did try, she recognized weeks after the Massacre.

"The Uchiha Downfall," they called it. Miho had scoffed at that title when no one was around to hear her. Whoever wins the battle writes the story, right? When the village had them killed, the village determined the narrative. "Uchiha Massacre" just didn't sound good for business.

She couldn't change their story.

But Naruto…

Naruto's story…

Did it have to be so terrible? How much of a tragic backstory did a character have to have?

Miho stiffened at her own thoughts, tears rising into her eyes once more.

This wasn't a story though.

The shaking boy in her arms— terrified, crying, innocent— was not a character.

Swallowing, Miho felt something slide into place.

When her father arrived to tower over her and Naruto, she gritted her teeth and raised her eyes to him. She tried to impress all of her emotions and convictions into a single look. All of them. Then, she sighed, patting Naruto's head as she did Chōji's whenever he was upset. "Father, I—"

Just as she started to speak, her father knelt and drew her— and Naruto along with her— into his arms. Miho felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. Naruto yelped and Miho immediately released him, scared that the added pressure had hurt his ribs. Her father let go as well, settling on his haunches. "I was so worried. Miho, what happened?"

Miho opened her mouth, but it was the ANBU that answered.

That nameless silver-haired ANBU officer.

"The girl stopped the attackers."

"These three are a shame to the uniform," Nara Shikaku spoke up. He looked down at one of the collapsed men, nudging his face with his boot. "This one works at the missions desk. That woman works in engineering." His eyes narrowed as he looked to the ANBU again. "Take them to holding. I will report to the Hokage now."

"I— I'm sorry." All eyes turned to Naruto, whose eyes were still wide and slightly anxious. His hands were winding in his capris. "I thought that—"

"These three won't bother you again, kid."

The ANBU and the three bodies disappeared and Miho wasn't quite sure how. Meanwhile, Yamanaka Inoichi lowered himself to the ground beside Naruto. He kept both hands open and raised. "Hey, squirt, where were you hit?"

Naruto hesitated, looking to Miho for guidance.

"It's okay. He's Ino's father."

Inoichi puffed up a bit in pride. "That's right! Ino's told me about how energetic and positive you are. You are Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

Miho tried not to stiffen when he lowered a hand to press against Naruto's right side. Seemingly to distract her, her father settled her on his lap and brushed he hair from her face. It was only then that the adrenaline started to truly reside. The pain in her knee grew a bit more pronounced, but she still pushed it aside. It didn't matter at the moment.

"Papa— I—" He smiled, patting a big hand on his side of her face. She shook, glancing over to Naruto every so often until she felt comfortable enough to focus on anything else.

"I am so glad you're okay. You shouldn't have gone alone. If you knew something was wrong, you should've told an adult."

Trying not to let anger hit her senses, Miho shook her head. "I didn't know what— I just followed Naruto. He's my friend." Feeling particularly vindictive, but knowing that it shouldn't be directed at her father, Miho looked at the other two shinobi. His teammates. "Why did they attack him?"

_There_ was the anger.

Because all of this was bullshit.

Every bit of it.

"Some people are just mean-spirited." Inoichi said with conviction.

While true, Miho resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Nara Shikaku nodded, narrowed eyes still observing the scene. It was like he was trying to work through the situation in his head. After all, Naruto was alone _at the festival_ on the anniversary of the Kyuubi attack. It was just about the least safe place Naruto could be. What happened to even get him there. Miho waited until his gaze fell on her before she looked away, focusing on her father again.

Time to take a risk.

"Papa, I want Naruto to come to dinner tonight. And to spend the night."

The fear that flashed through her father's eyes was gut-wrenching. And Miho felt her stomach turn. He glanced to his teammates. Shikaku shrugged after a moment, looking for all the world like he wanted to be _done with everything._ Inoichi finished healing Naruto's side, letting out a long (tired) sigh.

Then, Miho caught Naruto's eyes.

And no matter how much fear she saw in her father's eyes— Naruto's had him beat. It wasn't fear from the attack or the strangers. (_How could they be strangers?_ _How dare they be strangers? _Miho's more mature mind questioned angrily.) It was fear of rejection.

She pushed herself out of her father's arms and stepped forward, a bit unevenly since her leg smarted, holding out a hand to help Naruto up. He hesitated for a moment before taking it. Once he was standing, Miho made a show of dusting him off, though the mud was too enmeshed in the fabric to bat out. Frowning, she settled a hand on his shoulder and gave him a meaningful look.

"You're okay."

He hesitated before nodding, glancing down at her knee. "Miho, your leg!"

Worried about her when he was the one attacked.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Shrugging, she looked to her father.

Just as his mouth began to open, Chōji's voice broke through the alley. He was huffing when he arrived to her side, looking over her dirty clothing and wide, frightened eyes. Shikamaru ambled to Naruto's side with a deceptively laid-back gait, but his eyes were sharp and narrowed. He was clearly trying to piece together whatever happened.

Miho patted Chōji's shoulder, keeping her attention on her father.

He stared down at her long the longest moment. Something else was in his eyes. Something Miho had seen before—like wistfulness or…grief. It disappeared as quickly as it had come and he nodded.

"Of course, he can come."

Letting out a relieved breath, Miho turned to her father and collided with his legs in a fierce embrace. Her father's strained laugh didn't quite assuage her guilt for putting her father through some very clear emotional stress, but the hand gripping the back of her yukata again made that guilt weaker.

She was hauled up onto his shoulder and then he looked down to Naruto before lowering himself down to one knee again. Chōji and Shikamaru watched, both looking to Miho for answers. She shook her head and held on, watching her father's arm outstretch. "Naruto, I'm Akimichi Chōza— Miho and Chōji's Dad. Would you like to come stay with us for tonight? It's Miho's birthday and we're throwing a party. If you want to come, climb up. I'll carry you both to the house so you can get cleaned up."

"C'mon, Naruto." Miho smiled. "We'll scrape just my name off the cake. It's your birthday too. Let's go."

Her father stiffened under her, but Naruto's eyes went wide and then teary. Then, at last, a nod and he hurried forward for her father to haul up.

When Naruto was on the other shoulder, Miho reached out and gripped his hand.

He hadn't smiled yet, but Miho wasn't going to let go until he did.

"Inoichi, can you get the boys?"

"No problem, Chōza. C'mon, guys. Let's go grab Ino."

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe on the edge of the desk, looking every bit his age and every bit the God of Shinobi. It was a harsh balance between righteous anger and bereaved exhaustion. The festival was difficult enough without all of the anger that was festering in the village like a cancer. Sighing, he settled back in his chair and looked back at his Jonin Commander with barely-maintained calm. "Am I to understand that Naruto was _at the festival_?"

Shikaku nodded and Hiruzen cursed.

"Hound."

The ANBU Captain appeared, back straight and shoulders squared. "Sir."

"Who was assigned to Naruto this evening?" The question was asked with the kind of serenity that usually preluded something far more dangerous. Lethal. It was a lethal sort of tone.

"Hawk."

"Have Hawk brought to me immediately. Go." Hound disappeared and the Third Hokage looked back at the Nara Clan Head. He raised his pipe and sucked in the toxins, holding them in his lungs for comfort before releasing the cloud. "I trust that Naruto is safe and has been returned to his apartment?"

Shikaku didn't quite grimace— that would be too effusive for him. Instead, he sighed. "Uzumaki is safe however, he will be spending the night with the Akimichi Clan." Hiruzen sat back, raising his brows as he waited for an explanation. The Akimichis were not the type to make some sort of political move. They were already quite a powerful clan, without constant vying for that power. A play on Naruto would not be to their benefit. "Uzumaki's attack was stopped by Akimichi Miho. She invited him to her birthday party and to spend the night at their estate."

"Akimichi Miho…" Hiruzen worked through the connections before his eyes widened. "Chisato and Keisuke's daughter?" The Third Hokage again tapped his pipe on the edge of the desk, working through the histories and implications. "Of course, Keisuke's daughter _would_ find Minato's son. Seems destined."

"Your orders?"

Hiruzen hummed, eyes narrowing a bit at the Nara. Though he knew Shikaku to be loyal to him, the Three Clans were also loyal to each other— nearly by blood bond. A wrong move might alienate the three fundamental clans of Konoha, further destabilizing the landscape. The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi were very displeased with the treatment of the Uchiha. Tactical advantage. By Shikaku's tone, Akimichi Miho was not a piece on the shogi board.

"If the Akimichi are kind to him, I see no reason to intercede."

The Nara nodded, though Hiruzen wondered if it was acceptance or relief.

"Akimichi Miho…It will be interesting to see her grow." He puffed on his pipe. "Perhaps her Will is the same as her father's?"

"Which one?"

"Both."


	5. Part I: Multiperspectivity

Miho saw it at the last second, jumping back as fast as she could, barely dodging the attack. Elder Torifu drew back the upper part of the staff, slamming it forward into Miho's shoulder. She winced, but otherwise shook off the pain. The old man grinned, eyes closing in amusement.

"You are being reckless, child. Center yourself or you will fall. And you will fail." He swept the staff toward her feet with such speed that she barely caught sight of the movement. She jumped, throwing herself out of the way and her breath caught.

In the next instant, she was on the ground—not quite sure how she got there. Overhead, a sparrow darted across the training yard into the nearby trees. She could feel the heat of the sand on her back.

Elder Torifu leaned over her, his bō acting as a cane. He blocked out the sun like an elderly, deadly eclipse. His expression was severe, the same expression she'd come to know from her teacher over the past four years. "You are unsteady. You need more muscle stability. The metal bō is swinging you. You will begin weight training next week." His features softened and he held out a hand to help her up.

"Your speed is good, but not good enough. You will begin wearing weights next week as well."

"Yes, Elder Torifu."

He chuckled, raising his hands in the customary spar-ending signal. Miho mimicked, resting her right hand over her heart with a nod. Clucking his tongue, he made for the buffet at the end of the training grounds while Miho followed.

The buffet was full of high protein foods, prepared each morning and replenished throughout the day. Housed at one end of the training and sparring grounds, it was one of the main hubs for Akimichi ninja. Miho's head was patted at least three times by cousins they passed on their way to the plates.

"Your Lee graduated last week, did he not?"

"He did. He's on Maito Gai's team." Miho waited until the old man shoveled some scrambled eggs onto his plate before doing the same. She added bacon and oats. They settled into the shade of a large oak nearby at a table affixed in the large roots. "He's…changed a bit. But in a good way. He's happier."

"Having a goal will do that for a person." Elder Torifu smiled. "Gai is a good role model for this. Goals can help us to have purpose in our growth." He downed a whole carton of milk before gesturing toward her. "What is your goal, child? What do you aim for?"

Miho'd already thought of this— to an almost frightening extent for someone so young. She had to, didn't she? With what was coming… "I want to protect the people I care about. That's all."

Elder Torifu nodded, chewing three pieces of bacon before he sat back and looked up at the light filtering through the oak leaves. "A good goal. It's one that you will fail." Miho jolted, breath catching. "We will lose that we care about, Miho. That is our reality."

A wood thrush was singing nearby and Miho wanted to scream. Because she knew. She knew her teacher was right, but… "Reality is what we make it. I'm going to get so strong that I can force reality to change. I know it won't always work, but I gotta try." She looked back at the old Akimichi and forced a smile. "Losing people… It's a fact of life, I know. I just—"

He clicked his tongue again, rolling his eyes. "I am not going to shame you for your determination, child. Change reality if you can, but do not destroy yourself if it doesn't budge for you. Powerful as you may be, Fate is the one thing that is stronger than us Akimichi." Elder Torifu eyed her for a long moment and Miho held his attention with her shoulders squared. "Eat up now. If you don't, my daughter will have my head."

"She's upped my caloric intake by 1,000 calories."

"You're lucky it's not more. Those morning 'jogs' of yours are keeping my dearest daughter on her toes."

Miho felt a bit smug at that, tapping a hand to the rolls that spilled over the waist of her capris. "I think I'm maintaining well! Those cookies she's got me on are awesome. They're keeping me steady on those runs."

"Yeah? Well, you wait until she shows up with some banana-infused oat apple protein monstrosities and then see what you say." He scoffed around his last shovel of eggs.

"They're better than chips."

Elder Torifu looked absolutely affronted. "Take that back. I won't let any student of mine speak blasphemy."

Miho smiled with all the innocence she could muster.

* * *

He had been to that hospital far too many times.

First, when his mother passed into the next life. He had been no more than a toddler, still playing with a wooden kunai. She had carved that kunai herself from the wood of an old hardwood that had fallen on the clan property. From that young age onward, the hospital had rarely been a symbol of good tidings.

The next time he arrived at the hospital in a hurry, his teacher had been mortally wounded in a battle with Iwagakure. His sensei's body was so mangled that it still haunted his nightmares from time to time.

Blood and gore.

Chōza knew from late-night (drunken) talks that Shikaku was still suffering with the memory of their old teacher. Inoichi as well. They couldn't forget it.

Then, not too long after, his father succumbed to an illness within those walls.

Finally, his sister…his sister was lost and so many others on that fateful day the Kyuubi attacked.

Now, as he rushed through those doors, he was hurrying toward one of the only good things that came out of that nightmare building. Trying to remain as calm as possible, he strode toward the nurse station.

"Excuse me," he tried. The nurses continued about their tasks, paying him no heed. If there was one thing he learned from his sister, it was that he had to be more assertive if he was going to get anything done. "Excuse me." He approached one nurse in particular and blocked her path out of the station. Her eyes trailed up his enormous height and he plastered on a kind smile to ward of any panic she might have felt.

A picture of contrite demureness, she lowered her head in difference. "Sorry, Lord Akimichi. Oh! You're here about your daughter!"

"I was told that she was admitted. Is she alright?" Worry laced his tone and he didn't bother to hide it. "I'm unaware of the details. As soon as I arrived back from my mission, I was told she lost consciousness. My wife hasn't even been informed yet."

The nurse grabbed a clipboard and made a motion for him to follow behind, her eyes scanning the document that was sitting at the top of the pile. "Your daughter was admitted less than thirty minutes ago. Word has already been sent through the proper channels and she will have to stay the night for observation. We haven't had time to send word to your clan. Her condition was and is not dire."

"What happened?"

"An incident at the Academy, apparently."

Rounding the corner, they arrived at the room farthest from the nurse station. Akimichi Chōza froze, breath catching in his throat. His large hands fisted at his sides. In his mind, he could recall walking into the same room only ten years prior.

Then, the world seemed so much darker.

Then, there had been screams cutting through the air and wails and pleading to whatever deity would listen for mercy.

Then, he had been identifying the body of his sister and collecting the daughter she had left behind.

This room…was the same room that he had lost Chisato in all those years ago.

This was the room in which Miho had been born, into a world filled with chaos.

Now, instead of the piteous wails of the victims, laughs jingled through the air like bells. He would recognize one of those laughs anywhere. It was more of a chuckle than anything else. Miho never possessed a hearty laugh like her brother. It was the mild chuckle of her father, of Keisuke, mannerisms that carried in her blood. Keisuke was in her, reborn into his little girl.

And it was upon hearing that laugh that Chōza found himself able to move again.

If the nurse noticed, she said nothing.

Her attention was instead focused on the chart she pulled from the box by the door.

"Your daughter came in with severe dehydration and an unhealthy blood pressure. Her unhealthy blood pressure hit both extremes. It bottomed-out en route from the school. She was also hyperpyrexic. That means that her body temperature far exceeded average." The nurse rubbed a hand on her forehead and sighed. "To be short, she overheated and overexerted herself. It caused a whole range of issues, which resulted in her loss of consciousness. The doctor can discuss the rest with you. Until then…" the woman gestured toward the room and the raucous laughter that came from inside. "Until then, see if you can get them all to calm down a bit."

Uncertain of who she could be referring to, Chōza stepped toward the door and let himself inside. The nurse disappeared down the hallway once again, off to make her rounds. What he saw inside the room was something that he never quite expected.

Miho was holding her sides as she laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks and brows pulled together. Beside her on the bed was Yamanaka Ino, who was kneeling and pointing toward two mainstays in the Akimichi household (somehow, Miho seemed to have adopted them). Rock Lee was giving a pouting Naruto a thumbs-up, grinning like a lark. Naruto, for his part, was wailing and tearing at his hair, looking so desperate that Chōza almost laughed. Sitting by the bed with his head rested on the mattress was Nara Shikamaru. Closest to the door was Chōji, mouth open to eat a chip.

Chōza felt his breath catch.

The position of these children was frightening and humbling.

Ino was a close guard, situated closest to the one protected.

Shikamaru was blocking the window.

Lee and Naruto were distracting, drawing attention to themselves.

And Chōji was guarding the door.

What in the world happened?

Miho turned to him, laughter-teared eyes going wide. "Papa! You're back!" Chōji echoed her, moving to hug his waist. For a moment Chōza tried not to realize how much taller his son was. Only ten and he was already to his hip. Miho stood even taller by a head. It would be some time yet before her brother caught up. In the periphery, Lee and Naruto stopped bickering.

"I finished the marathon, Papa."

The marathon was this week? He frowned. Was that why his little girl was in the hospital? That didn't make sense. She was training in heavy endurance. If Elder Ayumu was right, Miho was on track to become one of the best endurance-based ninja in the clan. She could do the marathon with little difficulty. He scrutinized her, eyes straying to Ino's sour expression and Naruto's obvious irritation.

"I wouldn't have been able to finish without Naruto's help."

Naruto lifted a hand to scratch the back of his neck, a nervous habit if he had ever seen one. His grin was a little anxious and he waved her off with this free hand. "Aw, you did it on your own. I just helped you the last bit, ya know? No big deal." He chuckled a bit and Chōza saw Miho shake her head.

"You didn't have to help me, Naruto. Not like you did."

Ino settled a bit more, leaning back into the mattress beside Miho. Her arms crossed. "She's right. It was pretty heroic."

Naruto's blush was particularly cute for a boy that rarely got flustered. Chōza decided to wait and see how that played out. Inoichi would be insufferable. At the thought, Chōza might've grinned. "Nah. Besides, Miho's one of my good friends. I couldn't leave her behind!"

"A beautiful display of friendship and loyalty, Naruto! It shines like the sun after a rainstorm. Alas, if I had been there, I would have helped shoulder the weight! Only then can we all reach our dreams!"

"Hell yeah, bushy-brows!" Naruto declared.

Both fell into a very loud dedication, shouting that their dreams were "just within reach" with clenched fists and victorious grins. Chōza ignored the flashbacks of Gai's sparkly rants about friendship and love. True as they were. His attention skittered back to Miho, who was watching the pair's rambunctious tirade with half-lidded eyes. Half-lidded, hopeful, caring and dedicated eyes. Ino was idly playing with his daughter's matted curls.

Ino looked just like her father when he was forced to hide his anger. The same tick in her brow. The same stern fury in her eyes. Miho shot her friend a look and Ino's eyes rolled. The two girls were having some kind of silent conversation.

As if she could sense his attention on her, Miho looked up to him. In that moment, she seemed so small and fragile. Like when she was seven, asking him why three fully-grown shinobi attacked a helpless child. Like when she was nine and asked him if her cousin Chihiro was ever coming home, only to learn that the answer was 'no.'

One day, she would be the ninja she had always wanted to be. At that moment though, she was nothing more than a little girl—his little girl—and she was exhausted from her hard work. Her thick fingers reached out and grasped his scarf, the brown one he always wore on recon missions. Ino leaned back so Miho would have easier access.

"What a drag. Just tell him already."

Miho sighed, letting her head fall back into the pillows. Her fingers loosened and fell away. "You promised."

"I didn't." Shikamaru retorted. And there was the sassy Nara tone he'd definitely learned from his father. The kid didn't even lift his head, but he did look up by angling it a bit differently. "Teacher Mizuki made her run the marathon with—"

"No snacks."

Chōza quickly tamped down the knee-jerk fury that came with those two words. "Excuse me?"

Chōji stepped away from the door, looking guiltily at his feet as he shuffled forward. His boy was obviously feeling that this was somehow his fault. "No snacks. Or…Or water."

"What?"

"Teacher Mizuki is a jerk." Ino supplied.

"Right! He let everyone else have water but Miho and…" Naruto stopped, blue eyes going impossibly wide. His attention shifted to Miho, who was watching whatever realization hit Naruto. "Well, shit." Miho grimaced.

"Language," Chōza said out of habit. "Tell me."

All eyes turned to Shikamaru, who noticed the attention and deflated. "Why do I have to tell the story? I'm not the one in bed. I'm not her brother. I wasn't even involved."

"Not involved?" Ino sat up, taking a swipe at his ponytail. "You're literally the one who noticed the whole thing from on-high or whatever."

"Troublesome. You noticed too. You tell him."

"I'll start yelling. Do you really want me to start yelling?"

"She was running with me." Naruto interjected. There was a lot of false bravado in his stance, hands firmly on his hips. "She was running with me because I wanted to skip school."

"With us." Chōji stepped forward to grip the rail at the end of the bed. "Naruto wanted to skip with us. We were watching the marathon from the top of the hill."

Chōza tried to keep the disappointment from his face. He knew— Boy, did he know!— that Chōji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Tsume's son often cut class. It affected their scores and he'd already garnered a half-hearted promise from his son that it wouldn't happen again. Peer pressure was powerful. Doubly so when the entire system seemed to ignore you and your needs. "You skipped the marathon?"

"Yes, sir."

At least Chōji looked suitably ashamed. "We'll talk more on that tonight. Continue."

"She was running with Naruto. Teacher Mizuki said that Naruto couldn't have water during the run. Miho couldn't either. And she couldn't stop for snacks." Ino sat up further. "Because Mizuki is a jerk." That seemed to be a theme.

Naruto looked devastated, much like he had all those years ago at the festival. Chōza clenched his teeth.

"Is all this true, Miho?"

Her head rolled back and forth, until she faced away from him. Her eyes focused on the window. She was trying to avoid a lie by keeping silent. Perhaps that is what she had been doing this whole time. If his suspicions were correct, his Miho had been dealing with some terrible things on her own for quite some time.

She and Chōji were forbidden from lying to him, but they were not explicitly forbidden from withholding the truth.

"It… wasn't a big deal."

A lesser man would've winced at the uproar that statement caused. Ino screeched. Shikamaru actually sat upright. Chōji raced to his sister's bed, eyes narrowed dangerously. Meanwhile, the two loudest people remained silent. Naruto looked away while Gai's prodigy looked to his shoes.

"Lord Akimichi," Lee spoke up. Glancing over, he saw the boy practically at attention in the corner. "Since Miho began training with me, I have taken responsibility for her. She is an Honor Sister, one of blood, sweat, and tears. Miho does not want to cause trouble with the Academy. After today though, I cannot stay silent any longer."

"Lee!"

Honor Sister? Chōza nearly choked.

Rock Lee sent his daughter a look that stunned the hardened shinobi. It was a mix between the care of a brother, the protection of a leader, and the concern of a friend. His thick brows were pulled downward and his stance challenged Miho to stop him. This was the friend that his daughter had made, the one that she would develop the ultimate trust with.

Chōza watched in subdued awe.

Because, while he'd seen them training and once every-so-often for dinner, he'd never seen this side of their relationship.

It was far deeper than he ever imagined.

"Teacher Mizuki targets any students that associate with Naruto. They are given lower scores, set against unfortunate opponents, and are given handicaps in spars from which they cannot recover." Lee stepped forward. Lee could only know all of this if he were told."Miho was given an unearned detention just a few days ago."

Chōza remembered that. She'd hit another student during lunch. He'd accepted it at face-value. After all, it wasn't the first fight that she'd finished. He told her to be careful of her strength. She'd nodded and accepted her home punishment without a word. She'd cleaned the entire storage unit out back with her brother sneaking in to help her out.

"Yeah, that whole thing was bullshit!" Naruto jumped in, looking a bit desperate. "Miho was defending me. She laid out that Naka-stupid-whatever like that." He slammed one fist into an open palm and then winced. "But he hit me first!"

So, she'd been defending Naruto.

Again.

"Miho had to run today with no snacks as punishment."

No snacks. No water.

"As punishment? In addition to the detention?"

Miho was obviously resigned, sighing as she palmed her forehead.

"Teacher Mizuki said she copped an attitude, but she didn't!" Naruto threw out his hands. "The whole thing was bullshit."

That earned nods from the children. Chōza felt his hackles rising, rage lapping at him like a thousand Aburame bugs roiling in his ears. Denying an Akimichi food...

"Said that people that mouth-off don't get water or snacks."

"I would've made it, but I tripped on the last lap."

"Seriously… that's not what this is about, Miho!" Ino was on her feet now. Her frustration and anger turned on her bedridden friend. Miho somehow remained completely calm, obviously used to Ino's flare-up temper. "No one cares if you finished or didn't finish the marathon. It's a waste of time anyway. We care that a stupid teacher decided to target you and make you suffer through stuff you literally need to survive." With pinpoint accuracy, she nailed Naruto down with a glare. "You're not at fault here either. Get it through your thick skull!"

"I—"

"Stop." Chōji's voice cut through the quickly erupting argument. To Chōza's surprise, the kids quietened. His son's grip on the bed rail was so tight that his knuckles were white and the metal was giving way a bit. His son didn't notice. "I skipped the marathon. I should've been there. I should've been there for her. I'm her brother."

"No arguing that." Ino shot back.

Miho lightly tapped Ino's hand, shaking her head a bit. "Arguing like this doesn't accomplish anything." Her eyes flickered up to him. "Please don't go after him, Papa."

His daughter must've sensed something because her attention immediately turned to Naruto, who had saddled up behind Shikamaru's chair.

"Don't. you. dare."

Chōza was at a loss.

"Justice doesn't involve putting snakes in his bed, Naruto."

"Never said anything about snakes. Where'd you get that idea? It is a good idea though!"

"Naruto…"

"Dye his hair green or something instead. Make it permanent."

"Don't help him, Ino. Geez."

"Troublesome. Just put mousetraps around his office and hide them with a genjutsu."

"Revenge is not necessary, beautiful friends. Our revenge should be Miho and Naruto's success."

"Lee, I'm pranking him. I don't care what speech you have prepared."

"Count me in, Naruto. I'll destroy him."

"What was it about 'don't you dare' that none of y'all understood?"

Biting back a laugh, Chōza watched with amusement as the tense atmosphere faded. The kids fell into dramatics again while he stepped away, resting a hand on Chōji's shoulder to guide him into the hallway.

Miho noticed and sighed, resting her head back onto the pillows. She settled in to watch her friends create diabolical plans for revenge, which Chōza would claim ignorance of. If he "wasn't listening," then he had plausible deniability. And Ino took after her father. Torture and Interrogation was certainly in her future with a mind like that. He turned his attention to Chōji.

"Have you ever been denied snacks at school?"

Chōji looked away, shuffling his feet.

"Chōji."

His son looked up and his expression told him everything he needed to know.

"When? By whom?"

"It's always…Teacher Mizuki. He doesn't do it so often with me. Only when I'm not paying attention. Miho's…a target. She has been all year." Chōji looked uncertain, to the point that Chōza wondered when his son's trust had wandered away. Swallowing that realization, he sank to his knee in front of his son. Chōji bit back tears, but they were filling his eyes anyway. "Shikamaru saw her stumble. And Miho just…just…fell. I saw it. From the hill. I couldn't…I couldn't get there. I thought…"

The hospital room had gone quiet again and Chōza wrapped his son in a hug, looking back into the room to see Miho's dark eyes staring back at him. Chisato's eyes. Keisuke's eyes. Chōza flinched, gritting his teeth together at the memory of his sister in that bed. That same bed.

Naruto bounded over Shikamaru onto the bed, earning an expletive from the Nara. Without a bit of fear or nervousness, the boy cuddled up to Miho's side and held on with a plaintive look. Miho broke eye contact with her father and looked down, saying something that got the boy to dramatically sigh, throwing his arms out as if he'd been hit by a kunai and was falling faint.

Lee jumped into action, rescuing Naruto from spilling onto the utterly fed-up Nara.

"You're all idiots! She's recovering!" Ino barked, shoving Naruto off the bed with enough finality that it sent all three boys toppling to the floor. "There! Now get out if you're going to be annoying!"

"Ino, stop yelling."

"You want me to start yelling, Nara? I can start yelling."

Miho shut her eyes and leaned back.

Patting Chōji's head, Chōza smiled.

If that smile had an edge— and edge that promised retribution— then, well, all Akimichi's had their limits.

* * *

In the still-cold early hours before dawn, when others woke to ponder their coming days or the feel of their loves cocooned against their chests, or even their minimal daily embarrassments they suffered at the hands of themselves or others, Akimichi Miho pushed herself through the cool morning air. Her chest was aching terribly as she rounded the training ground.

She was completing her 555th lap of her daily jog.

Muscles burning and eyes watering, she slowed down her pace and stumbled over to a green towel that had been thrown over a low branch. She patted her forehead and took a deep breath, running a hand through her thick damp curls.

Judging from the dim light that was rising on the horizon, sunrise was swiftly approaching. Soon enough, Lee would arrive for their daily full-tilt run around Konoha.

It was better than lying awake, she thought vaguely.

It was better than watching different conclusions to a lifelong nightmare played out in her mind like visions.

In each version, a new person was killed.

With one errant decision, Chōji died gruesomely before her very eyes—under a huge orange-furred claw. He would look to her in the last moments before his bones were crushed, begging her to help.

Muscles ripped from bones, blue flames gathering about his body.

She was always helpless, watching her brother's death as if it were a movie.

It wasn't flat and two-dimensional anymore.

It was real.

In other flickers, Naruto was impaled by a hand through his chest and birds were screeching. Naruto, whose smile was so comforting and bright. He would be lost with the chirping of birds. And her chest would begin to throb, each beat of her heart like a sentence for torture. She never saw the attacker die.

But she wanted to.

Lee was stabbed, terribly mangled in the onslaught.

Shikamaru was consumed in bright white light.

Ino, her vibrant eyes blank and unseeing.

Her father burned alive in an explosion that shook the very earth beneath her feet as she looked on from a distance. Hundreds of thousands gone in mere seconds.

No matter how hard she struggled not to see these things, they still came.

Years. She kept her silence for years.

Ino knew.

Ino was the only one.

Ino carried that weight, never once faltering under it.

Taking a deep breath, she eased her eyes open and looked upward to the lightening skies. Light blues into pale pinks. The sun would soon rise.

Listen to the wind blow.

Watch the sun rise.

Knowing Lee, he would demand they spend an hour enjoying the "beauty of youth" by settling themselves under a huge oak deep in the forest for the rest of the morning workout.

Nothing but push-ups, extreme calisthenics, and intense spars: that was Lee's idea of—

"Miho!"

—a light workout.

Right on time. As usual. Maybe even a little early, if the colors of the sky were right.

"Miho, my dear Beautiful Friend of the Ages! Have you finished your warm-up? Are you ready for a run around the village?"

Lee landed on the ground beside her in a crouch, bowl-cut hair shimmering. He looked up past his bushy eyebrows and cocked his head to the side with obvious confusion. Miho grimaced, hiding her face in her towel. She was making a show of it, trying to imply that she didn't want his obvious wide-eyed staring.

"You look pale. Is your morning youthfulness fading? It cannot be! You are always so full of gleaming youth during the fruitful hours of first sunlight!"

"I'm not tired, Lee. I'm scared."

She wasn't going to avoid the conversation. There was no sense in beating around the bush about it. It was probably a bit too blunt though because it made Lee stumble a bit on a tree root. He recovered easily and sent her a bright smile, teeth gleaming as the sun broke over the horizon behind him. Miho raised a hand to shield her eyes, trying not to see the reassuring look that Lee was giving her. Turning her back, she reached down and grabbed her bottle of water.

"It's the day, Lee. It's pass or fail. I have to pass."

"You'll do wonderfully, Miho! I have a lot of confidence in you. Ino, Naruto, Chōji, Shikamaru, Kiba, even the beautiful flower, Sakura…All of us have confidence in you. You work hard and that hard work will pay off. We'll be the greatest ninja through our hard work! I promise you! If I'm wrong, then I'll run around Konoha two hundred times on my thumbs!" She gulped down a swig of lukewarm water and gave him a close-lipped smile, eyes closing due to her rounded cheeks. "Even Gai-sensei says that you will be a great ninja! He says that he can see a youthful glow in you!"

Her eyes opened and, though she usually couldn't see it in herself, she could see the certainty in Lee's eyes. Confidence. He had never doubted her before.

Why would he suddenly start now?

Miho grinned and settled her water bottle in the crook of the roots. Straightening, she pushed her hands down the front of her blouse, rolling over the extra meat that hung over the edge of her loose brown pants.

"Thank you, Lee. I'll try my best." He nodded enthusiastically. "Let's run. We've got three hours before I've got to be at the Academy. We'll make them count. What time is your mission?"

"Nine," he leaped up and performed a backhand-spring onto a large branch overhead. "Four hundred laps full-speed!"

* * *

"Three copies should do it," Teacher Iruka told her. There was an easy smile on his face and she could remember all the times he pulled her from the dirt. All the times that he brushed the dust from her sweaty shirts. Her eyes skittered to where Teacher Mizuki sat with a critical look on his face. There was no outright contempt. Not anymore, not since she was ten and competed in the marathon.

Her eyes never left him though. Because she wanted him to know, for him to see.

"Do you have a goal, child?"

Hurry it up, Akimichi! I want three hundred. You're at twenty! We've been at this for thirty minutes already! No food until you finish.

Fatty. Slug. Pig. Useless lard. Fat ass. Big girl.

"I want to protect the people I care about. That's all."

I can still hear you saying...You would never break the chain.

She could see her whole life building up to this.

All of her training— All of the hard work.

Weekends spent conditioning her body. Hours spent running and running and running. Falling down and running some more. Every hit. Every time she was in the dirt, washing the grime and blood from her mouth. The callouses, the blisters, the sunburn. Even at the present, her body would still occasionally lose its motor functioning, lose its coordination. Like her mind remembered a different body, a different movement. Even now, she struggled to overcome the obstacles. Even now, as the weights tugged on her muscles at all hours. Even as she ate and ate and ate to stay the same, to gain.

She struggled and worked hard to overcome it, everything.

Just one jutsu.

One jutsu and she would be a ninja.

One technique.

One chance.

She raised her hands and never looked away from the silver-haired instructor. Her fingers looped around each other with practiced ease. A goal? Maybe she did have a goal. A smaller one. With a slight quirk to her lips, she performed the technique and stepped back to gesture toward her copies.

Three girls, just as large as her. Same wild dishwater-brown hair, same sharp dark eyes. Same cheek swirls. Same roundness, same thick legs, thick center. Thick arms. Thick shoulders. Thick rolls. Muscles and height. The same scarf, the symbol of her clan emblazoned on the fabric. Big. Powerful.

She looked at herself and saw her achievement. She saw. For the first time, Miho truly looked at herself and saw something unbelievably and wonderfully beautiful: that "big girl" was a ninja now—she was a kunoichi. She could do anything.

She could protect anyone.

There was nothing anyone could do to stop her.

And with a grin she let her clones disappear.


	6. Part I: Rising Action

**Author's Note: **This is a very, very long chapter, but it all really needed to be together.

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement on this story! I'm really, really happy I have the opportunity to write it.

The updates might slow a bit over the next month. I've been very fortunate to receive a new job and I'll be moving. Regardless, I'll keep writing!

Again, thank you all sincerely for your support!

* * *

As the story goes, there was once a man who worked for the Sage of Six Paths. He did heavy labor, making use of his large, muscular build to accomplish great feats of strength. It was said that he once lifted an entire mountain and moved it aside to help a local village gain access to water. The villagers were so grateful that they gave him their secret recipe for fermented cabbage. Hearing of these feats, the Sage sought to repay the man. The man waved off the Sage with a smile.

"I'm always happy to help," he said.

He wanted no material gains and only sought an honest living.

When the Sage persisted, the strong man gestured toward the small children playing in the courtyard of his home. He asked that his children be provided for and protected in the years to come, should he ever fall in battle. He knew that the world of shinobi was doomed to danger and malcontent by its very nature, but he wished that his descendants would have good health in their blood.

The Sage, being grateful to this man for his unfailing support and friendship, agreed to the request and listed seven herbs that he had encountered in his travels— seven herbs that would ensure strength and good health.

That was the origin of the Ritual of Seven Herbs, a tradition that was as old as the Akimichi Clan, predating even Konoha.

It demanded that seven various grasses, plants, and vegetables be consumed before midnight on the evening of a ninja's rites.

Her hand rose to rest on the forehead protector that sat around her neck. Part of her worried that they would recall the decision, a strange anxiety. By the eyes of the clan though, as long as she consumed the Seven, she would be a kunoichi of the Akimichi—ranked or not.

Everything in the Akimichi Clan involved some kind of story.

At least, that was the way Miho understood it. And she had been studying the customs of her clan since she was born. Best she could tell, the herbs were meant to represent the seven pillars of the Akimichi identity.

Miho's mouth watered as she stared at her mother flitting around the kitchen.

This was also an Akimichi tradition, one that she had been anticipating for weeks.

The graduation party.

The entire clan took part in the celebration, cooking up their finest recipes to commemorate the accomplishments of the newest Akimichi shinobi. Miho glanced to her right and saw her brother licking his lips. He glanced to her in the same moment and he smiled wide, eyes crinkling.

Chōji was practically glowing with happiness.

Shikamaru passed. Miho passed. Chōji passed. Ino passed. Hell, Kiba passed.

She imagined that Chōji had wanted nothing more in his life.

Miho's smile faded and she swallowed, looking away.

Naruto, though…

Everything would be fine, wouldn't it?

It was fine last time. Then and there.

It'd be fine again.

Still the anxiety roiled in her gut.

"You wanted takoyaki (1), right?"

Her mother turned a bit and grinned at them, fluffy cheeks rose-colored from the heat of the kitchen. When both children nodded vigorously, she gestured toward the table. Hurriedly, Miho rushed forward and pushed out the chair, settling down to watch the food with gleaming eyes. Miho could feel her stomach churning and she wasted no time in reaching for a sweet bun that sat on the center plate of the table.

Chōji seemed to consider her actions and then reached forward to grab a cookie, stuffing it into his mouth with a grin. His chip bag was left to be finished later.

Miho closed her eyes to savor the way the sugar melted in her mouth. It seemed to flutter there, making her heart dance with excitement.

"These are— so good. Mom, so good."

When she opened her eyes again, she saw her mother looking them over with a proud grin. Chōji had his eyes closed still, a big smile bending around the cookie.

"Your aunts and uncles are cooking up your favorite festival foods. No ikayaki, per your hate of the stuff." Miho gagged at the mere mention of that food, remembering when her father tricked her into eating it. "I'm making your favorite desserts, of course."

"Is Aunt Midori making her yakisoba? Is she?" Chōji grinned, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Their aunt was the owner of a popular grill restaurant and she was arguably the best cook in the clan. Miho could feel him bouncing in his chair. She grinned broadly, laughing at his enthusiasm through her sweet bun.

"She makes the best yakisoba! It's soft and tastes great going down, too! What about cake, will there be cake?"

"What about me? I thought you liked my soba noodles?" Her mother looked a little offended and Miho raised her hands in placation, not wanting her to get mad on such a great day. In an instant, her mother's irritated expression disappeared and was replaced by the same proud smile. "Alright. Just for today you're allowed to like someone else's food. I'm making cakes, cookies, buns, maybe even some dango."

Miho actually felt a growl of excitement welling in her throat, but she choked it down. Chōji didn't bother and actually purred at the notion of so many sweets.

It was the stuff of dreams for any Akimichi.

"Alright. Alright. That's enough loitering! If I let you sit around here, the two of you will eat all of my goodies." Miho wasted no time in giving an honest nod. Her mother chuckled. "You need to go get ready. Your father will be home in an hour. That's when the party starts. Go on! Go on! I laid out your clothes."

Her mother made a shooing motion and turned back toward her mixing bowl.

Pushing herself from her chair, Miho hurried down the hallway—her footsteps thundering along the hollow wood floors. She could hear Chōji's laughs echoing behind her, causing her to turn as she reached the doorway to her bedroom.

Chōji stopped at his room with smile so wide that his eyes were shut. His meaty fingers clutched the doorframe. She stared at him a moment, her own smile growing wider. For a moment, the anxiety dissipated.

Naruto would be fine, wouldn't he?

"Chōji…We did it." Her hand reached up to the metal and cloth around her neck. "We became ninja."

Chōji nodded, eyes opening. "Yeah. Yeah, we did." He shook his head and started down the hallway to stand in front of her, reaching out his hand. Miho mirrored the action and looked down at their linked hands. "It was hard, but we did it. We became ninja. Together." Miho nodded her head, looking up at him though her head was lowered. "I will definitely become a great ninja. What about you, Miho? We'll grow together, won't we? We'll both be strong ninja one day."

Miho felt a surge of pride rush through her, knowing that Chōji could accomplish anything he set his mind to. He was destined for greatness—the heir of the Akimichi Clan. He would overcome all obstacles in his way. She had absolute confidence in him.

As for herself? Her confidence wavered, doubt tugging at the pit of her stomach. The task she had set for herself…It wouldn't be easy. Changing the future, changing the world...It was heavy.

She nodded anyway, only slightly at first, but with more and more strength.

"We'll do it. We'll do it. We're going to be strong."

Chōji's brows pulled downward and he stared at her, smile dropping a bit at the almost imperceptible waver in her voice. His other hand rose and he settled it on her shoulder.

She felt herself falter. She should have known that Chōji would sense it.

He always did.

"We won't leave each other behind, Miho. I'll never leave you behind. Not like then. Not like the marathon, not again. I— You're my sister. I won't ever…I won't ever abandon you."

His lips set into a firm line and she could see a flicker of him—a flicker of her brother's confident self, hidden behind his insecurities. The man that he would someday become. She could see it, see him. If she lived long enough, she looked forward to meeting him.

"I'm… proud of you. All this time, you've been working hard and you never gave up, no matter what. I wanted to say that before we—before we're on different teams."

She didn't lower her head a bit as tears pricked her eyes. Her hand tightened around his before she threw herself toward him, latching her arms around his shoulders. Instinctually, he returned the embrace. The hug was fierce and strong and warm.

"I'm proud of you, too. Always. You've worked so hard." Her eyes widened and she pulled herself away, a grin pulling at her lips. "I got something for you! Hold on!"

Before he could say a word, she spun around and sprinted into her room. Her feet caught on the random pieces of clothing that lay around the space, before she fell to her knees in front of a large trunk. She could hear Chōji in the doorway, heavily breathing through his nose. He was trying not to cry.

"I went to the market with Lee and Ino last week. That was an adventure! I saw this and I thought about you immediately. I mean, we both have a thing for scarves—"

"That kind of ruins the surprise, Miho." Chōji laughed, coming to kneel on the floor next to her while she rummaged in the trunk. "It's amazing that you lost it that quickly though. You're normally so organized."

"Nightmares and exams," Miho answered without thought as a way to explain her mess of a room. When she saw Chōji's eyes narrow in her peripheral vision, she shook her head. "Please, don't start."

"You should tell someone. Those dreams…aren't normal. Even if you don't tell me."

Miho fought off the guilt. With a thinly triumphant smile, she pulled the scarf from the trunk and handed it over to her brother. He continued to watch her for a moment, clearly noticing the fact that she was diverting his attention and ignoring him. Smiling, he took the proffered gift and ran his hand along the red fabric.

She would tell him soon.

She wouldn't be able to avoid it anymore.

"It's awesome, Miho." When his hand reached the end of the scarf, he held up the design and brought the pad of his thumb over the raised burgundy threading. "Your work?" It was the Akimichi clan symbol, roughly embroidered into the cotton fabric. When she nodded, he reached up and unwound the white scarf from around his neck. "I should have gotten you a present, too."

"No, I just wanted to—" He placed the white fabric around her neck and set to work looping it around twice and folding it in the way he had worn it before. "Chōji, you don't have to give this to me! It's your favorite! You don't even have to wear the one I got you. It was just because I thought that the red would suit you, that's all!"

He was already wrapping it around his neck as he had done the one before, grinning so widely again that his eyes were closed. He wasn't listening to her, Miho realized, and she just settled back onto her haunches.

"You're so stubborn."

"Uh huh," he agreed as he stood. Miho followed suit, shaking her head. "Shikamaru says I'm the most stubborn out of everyone. You're stubborn, too. We're related to Pa, what did you expect?"

"Shikamaru's never wrong." Miho responded.

She watched as he strolled out of the room, his hand reaching deep into his pocket to retrieve his half-eaten bag of potato chips. Unable to stop a grin, she turned and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her wild hair was just barely contained in a ponytail and the hereditary swirls on her cheeks seemed brighter and more prominent than ever. She raised her hands and rested them atop the scarf, pulling the forehead protector to rest over the fabric. Glancing toward the clothing on the bed— a dress, obviously laid out by her mother— she deflated a bit and then nodded.

* * *

There was drumming, steady beats pulsating with the ecstatic energy of the night. She could already hear the raucous laughter of her uncles, aunts, and cousins. Excitement was growing in her chest as she followed her parents out to the central courtyard. Her sweaty hands ran along the skirt of her dress.

In just an hour or so, the Ritual of Seven Herbs would solidify her place as a kunoichi of the clan.

Until then, the atmosphere would remain joyous. Her eyes caught a bounce in her father's gait and she grinned. The Akimichi weren't necessarily a rowdy bunch. Nearly always, they were considered mild-mannered and cultured, but the celebrative atmosphere of festivals always seemed to bring out the "wild side" of Akimichis, if you could call it that.

Really, what it came down to was that the Akimichi loved parties—because parties related to the two most important of Akimichi priorities: a plethora of food and the presence of family.

Miho could recall various clan-wide celebrations as she was growing up—from marriages to babies, from elder birthdays to religious observances.

She could remember her cousin Chihiro's wedding, which was a huge affair with fireworks and even a huge collection of clan drummers. It was only short a few fishing booths to being equal with any annual village-wide festival. Her widow was on the other side of the ceremony grounds, up to her arms in shredded cabbage. At least she was smiling.

There was a round of raucous laughter around the Elders.

For being so "mild-mannered," her family sure did love to celebrate.

She glanced over to where Chōji was chewing on a pork bun that he had filched from the kitchen before they began the trek to the courtyard.

"Are you two ready?"

Their father came to a stop while the clan let out a cheer for the drummers, who had reached the climax of the rapid beating. Miho resisted the urge to raise a fist like she would with Lee and instead nodded her head. He turned, looking down upon them both with obvious pride.

"You have done the Akimichi clan proud." He lowered himself down to one knee and rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "You've made me proud." He glanced to Miho and smiled. "You will grow to be a kunoichi as strong as—" He stopped, shaking his head. "—as strong as the women of legend."

Miho felt tears pricking at her eyes, noticing his hesitation.

Because she wasn't dumb.

She knew. She'd known for years.

Not everything, but she knew enough.

His gaze then shifted to Chōji.

"You are strong, Chōji. You're kind and you're going to be a good man. A man that can protect his friends and family."

Miho watched her brother's chin rise just a little, his confidence seeming stronger than it had ever been. She nodded resolutely, seeing him glance her way, looking for some sort of reassurance. She was with him, every single step of the way.

Miho would readily admit that she had more confidence in her brother than she had in herself. He nodded in return, reaching up to grasp his scarf. Her father noticed that movement and looked between them both, his smile seeming to light the entire hallway.

The renewed drumming grew louder and louder and louder, seeming to rattle the entire compound. Her father stood, saddling himself back and pushing the two of them toward the rice paper doorway. Nervously, Miho shifted her weight from foot to foot. Her heart was thundering in her chest, spurred on by the rapid drumbeat outside.

Then, silence.

The doors slid open and the loud cheers could likely be heard all over the village. Miho felt herself stagger backward until she bumped into her mother's stomach. Hands came to rest on her shoulders and she could hear her mother's voice in her ear.

"Have a good time, Miho. You deserve this."

She gave Miho's shoulders a squeeze of support before releasing. The young girl could hardly believe her eyes.

This was nothing like any clan festival she had seen before. There were streamers stretched across the space, supported in the middle by tall, painted poles that held lanterns of red and gold. The soft glow of the lanterns illuminated each and every face of her family members, cheeks rosy and flushed with the exertion of laughing and joking.

Along the opposite side of the wide courtyard, stalls had been erected— stalls that were used in nearly every village festival for Akimichi wares and foodstuffs. Far too the left, she could see her elder cousins— Maruten and Tonkatsu, both of which were battling it out on a full-sized wrestling mat.

Catching her attention, Maruten raised his hand in a wave and his brother quickly tackled him to the ground. Grinning now, Miho look around to where Chōji was standing with his mouth wide open.

"All of this for us?" He sounded dumbfounded, as if he couldn't believe it.

Neither could she, quite frankly.

This put every other celebration to shame.

"You're the heirs of our clan." Elder Ayumu explained from where she was sitting nearby. She gave a grand gesture toward the merry-making. "Not to mention, it gives us an excuse to eat festival food. Do you really need more explanation than that?"

Chōji shook his head and ran off toward the stalls on the other side, disappearing into the crowd. Miho made to follow him.

"Wait, Miho. Sweet bun, give an old woman a moment." Miho's gaze settled on her elderly aunt, who was watching her carefully. Elder Chojiro had clearly braided her hair as it was pinned up in intricate plaits. The old woman would never have pulled that style off herself. Miho grinned. "I made you some karumetou. It's over there." Reaching into her pocket, the old woman pulled out something, holding it out with a quivering hand. "Take this, sweet bun."

"What—"

"A graduation gift. It was your mother's, when she was your age. I've held onto it for quite some time." The elderly woman reached forward, placing the scroll into the girl's open palm. Miho's brows pulled together as she stared at the intricate seal on the red scroll. "It's a blood seal. It can only be opened by you. Open it when you are ready. Until then, keep it in a safe place."

With the deep, meaningful look that Elder Ayumu gave her, Miho knew.

This belonged to her biological mother.

Miho nodded, holding it tightly to her chest.

"You look so much like her…" Elder Ayumu sounded wistful, reaching forward to brush the black hair from Miho's shoulder. "Go and enjoy yourself, sweetest bun." The woman seemed to think of something before smiling. "It appears we won the best. You're a good girl, Miho. Go on now."

A little confused, Miho nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Elder Ayumu. I will take care of this. Whatever it is."

"I'm sure you will. Now, see about some food before I up your calories again."

Miho pushed the scroll into her right pocket, trying to counter her racing heart. It was something to think more on later.

She was still an Akimichi, no matter what. Like her mother.

And if she felt just a little out of place, then she ignored that feeling.

Because it was wrong.

She grabbed the first snack she could find— a skewer of glazed beef— and popped it into her mouth. All three pieces at once. She pulled them off with her teeth and focused on chewing.

Her mother was an Akimichi. Full stop. And her father—

Let it go, Miho.

It was just exquisite, the celebration. There were delicious piles of mochi, onigiri, and sekihan. So many rice treats to choose from, all practically glistening with scrumptious potential. Miho felt herself salivating as she eyed every single option. She could hear her second cousin laughing behind the stand as she saddled up to the array.

He was the main purveyor of rice in the entire village, she knew, he owned several outlying farms that supplied a majority of the stocked rice products. Meanwhile, his younger brother owned one of the best distilleries in the entirety of Fire. The man knew how to cook rice unlike anyone she had ever encountered.

"Miho-Miho, you're drooling! Show some decorum, will you?"

She drew the back of her hand under her mouth and tried not to roll her eyes. She hadn't been drooling. His waving hand drew her attention away from the food and she stood a little straighter in his presence. He had always been a formidable shinobi.

"Finally made it around to little ol' me, did you? I saw that you went to the yaki stalls first. What's the meaning of that, huh? Showing favoritism already? You're barely even groomed as an adviser and yet here you are playing favorites! What shall we do, this poor clan of ours?"

Miho opened her mouth and then closed it. She had years of practice playing with her Uncle Zosui's boisterous personality. After all, he had passed it on to his son Maruten and she dealt with him practically every other day during clan sparring sessions. He was the second most proficient in bō techniques after Elder Torifu.

"If you want my favor, Uncle Zosui, you have to earn it. Not that my favor can mean much to a man of your stature." She raised her chin and gestured toward the array of delectable rice treats. For a moment he actually looked impressed. Then, her expression softened at the sight of a particularly delectable-looking onigiri and her stern expression melted into hungry desperation. "Can I? Can I, Uncle Zosui? Please?"

Her uncle snorted and shook his head, wild brown hair rolling over his shoulders.

"You were very convincing for all of five seconds. Sounded just like a real advisor."

When she didn't look away from the rice ball, he let out a loud, booming laugh and gestured forward with one of his large hands.

"Go ahead! Go ahead! Eat five or ten for all I care. Hell, eat twenty! They were made to be eaten anyway! You'll need the energy starting tomorrow, believe you, me! Lots and lots of energy, if I hear right."

She grabbed seven different kinds, stuffing one whole rice ball into her mouth. Zosui's rice was always sweet and sticky and delicious. How did Maruten maintain his weight? He should weigh more with his father being such an awesome cook! Her eyes closed as she savored the flavor.

Her mother would be dismayed for sure. She always thought that she cooked the best rice. Miho let her believe it too.

Then, it hit her. His words.

"What—What do you mean I'll need it tomorrow?" Her eyes opened and she saw the man hide his large face in his meaty palms. Swallowing in one large gulp, she leaned forward eagerly and bounced on her toes. "You know something, don't you? You know who my teacher will be."

"I'm as ignorant as they come, just ask your Pop."

He worked in the Jōnin Corps. He knew something, especially from the way he was rubbing his hands together. Her heart nearly leapt from her chest. He knew who her teacher would be! She could tell from the nigh-wicked gleam in his steel gray eyes. Her mouth opened to begin her rapid-fire questions, but in the blink of an eye, her mouth was stuffed with onigiri again. With a swift movement, he bopped her chin upward and let out a peal of obnoxious laughter when her thick cheeks puffed out.

"I swear—Just like your mother! She used to do that! Looked just like a chipmunk with her big ol' cheeks!"

Miho chewed as fast as she could, trying to formulate her questions. Which mother? "Y-You know who—"

"Can't say that I do," Zosui shrugged. She shot him a disbelieving stare. "Gotta say, I think you drew the short senbon. Considering who else is gonna be teaching, well, you might come out okay…" Miho just barely withheld a snort, thinking of Hatake Kakashi and his litany of issues. And her brother's soon-to-be chain-smoking teacher. "Be patient with them. They're all messes. Say, would you look at the time? It's time—"

"—to begin the Ritual of Seven Herbs!"

Her father's voice rose over the din of music and talking. The drummers slowed their rhythm to two beats every second or so. Like a heartbeat. Miho felt her muscles lock and she went still, mid-chew. Her attention swung around to where her father was standing at the center of the courtyard. Her discussion was quickly forgotten.

"Come along, Miho! Chōji, finish your cookie."

Miho felt a shove to her shoulders and she stumbled forward, tripping a bit as her feet got caught underneath her. Her heart seemed to pulsate in her throat. Nervously, she swallowed bit-by-bit the remaining rice that had been stuffed into her mouth, shooting Uncle Zosui a dark look over her shoulder.

"It's that time. My children have finally graduated the Academy."

"We knew they would!" Someone—her cousin, Emi—shouted from the back corner. She was one of the most supportive and outspoken of the Akimichi teens. Miho sent the older girl a shy smile, while she was given a salute in response. "Got a couple of stubborn mules there!"

"Chōji will be a kind-hearted mule one day!"

"Miho's the one that will kick you in the teeth."

Miho focused on her footsteps, glancing toward Chōji every few seconds to see the color on his cheeks growing darker and darker. By the time he came to stand beside her, his blush was moving to his ears and neck. The family always did this at gatherings, especially those that inducted new, young shinobi into the clan ranks.

Whereas other clans were demure or cold or negative, this was the atmosphere of the Akimichi. New ninja of the clan were greeted with warmth and love, support for their strengths and respect for their weaknesses. With the way Chōji wore his confidence on his sleeve, it was only right that the clan bolster his morale. Afterall, he was the heir of the clan.

"Chōji will be a great leader!"

"Miho will support him!"

Chōji kept his head lowered, not used to the outright praise. Before she realized it, her hand was reaching out and she rested it on his shoulder. In an instant, the change was visible. His back straightened a bit, almost as if he had realized she was watching him. A small smile pulled at her dry lips. He'd at least feign some confidence in front of his little sister. He always did. Over the years, he had grown into some feigned confidence just to reassure Miho.

Miho knew though, some of his confidence was real. Because it had to be.

If he wanted her to gain confidence, then he had to as well. The clan continued to shower him with praise and support as their father gestured toward a pair of red-clothed pillows that sat before two simple wooden serving trays. One pillow sat slightly ahead of the other and Miho quickly positioned herself in the secondary seat, eyes continually focused on Chōji as he lowered himself into a formal position.

"Our sixteenth head!"

"You did well, my student!"

That was Elder Torifu's voice!

He was supposed to be in the Capital!

Miho felt her breath catch when her father waved a hand.

Immediately, the shouts of praise were hushed. The quietened drumbeats remained, as they always did during the ceremony. They symbolized the heart of the clan—continuous, never faltering, constant.

Her father's voice was lower, stronger—he was no longer just her Papa; he was the fifteenth head of the Akimichi Clan: their leader and patriarch.

"You both have passed your graduation exams and have exhibited strengths in the ninja arts. You have chosen to live the life of a shinobi and kunoichi, sacrificing all for your clan and your village." Her head nodded, following the example of the others she had watched participate in the ceremony over the years. "You will now take part in the Ritual of Seven Herbs, thus cementing your place as a ninja of the clan."

Her father turned slightly and took a scroll that was handed over by— Miho's eyes widened. Elder Torifu. The weathered old man looked in her direction and his lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes though…His eyes showed how proud he was.

"Young ones of the clan," he murmured, graveled voice tumbling over the words. "These herbs were gifted to us by our allies—the Nara and Yamanaka. Three of the herbs you consume hail from the Nara stores. Three from the Yamanaka gardens. The seventh and final herb will represent the Akimichi clan. Consume all seven and you will be a member of the Akimichi shinobi, regardless of rank within the village."

There was something entrancing about his deep timbre. She could feel her anticipation building in her chest. He nodded toward her, a smiling ticking at the corner of his chapped lips.

"Seri, Nazuna, Hakobera—contributions of the Yamanaka." She watched as her mother stepped forward, a bag in her hand. "Seri, the water dropwort, symbolizes perseverance and persistence. When battles are close, you may win by sheer determination."

Miho held her breath as her mother lowered herself to kneel in front of them. Her mother reached into the bag and withdrew a mixture of crushed herbs, using her other hand to settle the bag onto the ground.

"Nazuna, the shepard's purse, symbolizes tenacity—the willingness to dust off and try again when one fails."

Her mother shifted forward and removed the cover of the seven-herb porridge that sat on the table between them.

The steam that rose from the dish billowed out, caught on a breeze that swept through the courtyard. Miho felt her heart begin to beat in time to the slowly-quickening drum beats that her cousins were hammering out nearby. Her attention shifted to her father and then to Elders Ayumu and Chojiro, who were watching nearby. There were tears in Elder Chojiro's eyes.

"Hakobera pushes you to exceed yourself and your expectations." Her mother sprinkled the herbs onto the bowl of porridge and smiled brightly, tears glistening in her eyes with the lantern firelight.

Miho thought her mother never looked so beautiful.

"Surpass yourself and prosper in the clan," her mother murmured. "Remember that. Always seek to grow."

Her father stepped forward then and pulled a small bag from the belt loop of his tunic.

"Hotokenoza, Gogyo, Suzuna—contributions of the Nara."

Miho felt her heart beating wildly in her throat as her father paced toward her with slow and careful steps. She could feel Chōji's attention shifting to her, eyes wide with wonder at the ceremony. Seeing it hardly compared to participating in it. He held her gaze for a long moment before their father began speaking again.

Together. That's what his eyes said. We're doing this together.

"Hotokenoza symbolizes patience and serenity. May you have tolerance and endurance in the face of all your troubles and battles."

A smile began to appear on her father's face, though she couldn't quite say why. She mirrored the smile though, unable to help herself. His hand reached into the small bag, which seemed too utterly tiny for his large hands. He withdrew the mixture of herbs and sat back on his haunches.

"Gogyo, the cudweed, represents all the potential the Akimichi body possesses. Nurture that strength."

The porridge steam caught the wind. It was a comforting scent, seeming to rest inside her chest as she held her breath. Her eyes opened and she watched as the herbs were sprinkled over the top.

"Suzuna, the turnip," her father explained, "cooked into this porridge, symbolizes the humility that you must have when entering the shinobi life. You must never be too proud to seek help, especially from family, friends, and our allies." He nodded resolutely, pushing himself to stand. His hand reached out and he helped their mother to her feet.

Miho could sense the energy of the courtyard was growing more and more ecstatic. Her feet were tingling beneath her as she anxiously awaited the final words, the final herb of the seven. She'd eat the porridge then.

Then, and only then, would she be an official kunoichi of the clan.

"The suzushiro, plant of the Akimichi."

Elder Torifu spoke up again as he hobbled forward to stand before them. It was tradition that the eldest member of the clan would present the final herb of the mixture—the old welcoming the young. Miho sat a little straighter and she saw her brother do the same. Elder Torifu spooned the porridge into two fine china bowls.

"This plant represents... integrity. It is a symbol of the honor that the Akimichi possess. The radish grows in full sunlight, can grow multiple times a year in many environments. So, too, must you. Not just as shinobi and kunoichi of Konoha, but as members of a clan which draws its strength from the food which we consume. It is honor and goodness."

Miho's mind flashed back to the story of the two ninja.

"There are two ninja in you. There are two ninja in me. They are both battling for supremacy, for power. They are both battling for control of your soul and body. One shinobi is strength, courage, goodness, faith, and hope-He is integrity. The other is disappointment, fear, anger, disloyalty, hate, and despair. He is corruption embodied. They fight constantly, inside us all. They are always fighting to gain control."

Chōji looked up at their father with wide eyes, "Which ninja will win?"

"The one you feed."

Miho blinked, mind returning to the present as Elder Torifu handed her a bowl of porridge – the nanakusa-gayu. She followed Chōji's lead and reached down to grasp the wooden spoon, dipping it down into the rice to mix the herbs together. Pausing, she glanced back to the elder.

"When you consume this porridge, you cleanse yourself of your past and restart your lives as a shinobi and kunoichi of the Akimichi Clan." He smiled broadly, the wrinkles of his face fading slightly in his obvious happiness. His eyes alighted on her, full of pride. "Take a bite, Chōji and Miho. Eat as much as you want. Savor the meal and grow stronger."

With a grin, she did just that.

The taste of the porridge was light and, in the first bite alone, she got a bit of radish. Her stomach, though it was aching from being overextended, was soothed by the simple and light flavors that floated on her tongue. Some salt had been added and she was certain that it was her mother that cooked the porridge. Miho knew that amount of salt anywhere. Her mother always made porridge when she or Chōji were sick, always with the same amount of seasoning.

She closed her eyes and felt herself sag just a bit in relief.

She was now a kunoichi of the Akimichi and of Konoha. It was a long and difficult road, but it was worth it. So many hours of training and working and struggling. Just to taste this porridge and see the happiness on the faces of her family.

Now she could continue to—

She gasped, eyes flying open. She felt small pieces of rice become stuck in her throat as she tried to swallow. Trying to breathe shallowly, she focused on a small pit of rock that was on the ground in front of her. It was happening again. Again. The pain. It was a hot searing flash just under her rib cage at first. Her senses expanded to her celebrating family, none of which seemed to notice the sudden look of agony that had flickered across her face.

As quickly as she could, she forced her expression to become neutral- only the slightest downturn to her lips as she sat the wooden spoon down onto the serving tray. Chōji was still eating beside her, woofing down the porridge at an unbelievable pace. He was so focused that he didn't notice the way she cringed. She felt her stomach lurch uncomfortably and, for a moment, she thought she would throw up.

Something was wrong.

Anxiety.

Naruto.

How could she just leave him to go it alone tonight?

She could hide many things: her nightmares, her fears, her shame, her visions. The future, what was coming. She had done so for years. Too many years. She couldn't keep hiding this panic though. It was too difficult.

Fear lurched through her chest with a particularly strong stab. Foreboding spider-crawled up her spine and she forced herself to her feet, taking a few unstable steps toward the house.

"Miho?" Her brother's question was muffled by porridge spittle.

"B-Bathroom," she gagged out. Her hand rose to pull at the scarf that rested around her neck. It felt too tight, like she was being choked.

The sun had set hours ago.

It wouldn't be long before Naruto stole the scroll. Miho ran up to her room and slammed the door shut, trying to breath through the panic. Leaning on the door, she took a deep breath and held it, eyes moving to a picture that sat on her bookshelf. The anxiety was like a tidal wave. Not a quick wash of nerves, but an inundation that only seemed to get worse. And worse. And worse.

The picture was from their last birthday. When Naruto had spent the entire day in the safe confines of the Akimichi property, gotten his customary yellow cake with chocolate icing baked by her mother, and nearly drowned in the largest bowl of ramen that any Akimichi could make. He was wearing a shirt with the Uzumaki symbol stitched on the front. She'd stitched it.

His family symbol.

And he'd given her a plant.

It sat on the windowsill.

Miho rushed forward and grabbed her bō from the corner, slinging it onto her back. From her desk drawer, she withdrew her bandages, quickly wrapping her knees and her hands. As she hurried, she kept glancing at that photo.

And she felt ashamed.

Stories need a catalyst. They need rising action, introductions. They had requisites. Momentum. Naruto needed to steal the scroll. He needed to be saved by Iruka. He needed to learn the technique. She knew these things. Some actions needed to happen. Ino said they were "plot points." But…

"Miho?"

…he didn't have to do all of it alone.

Forget the stupid plot, Miho!

Turning, Miho straightened herself and looked back at Chōji, unwavering. "I gotta go."

He started to say something, but stopped. After a moment, he stepped back from the door to let her pass. He followed along behind her, keeping his footsteps uncharacteristically quiet. She could feel his concern. "I— I'll cover for you. Say you got sick. I…That's not lying, right?"

"No, Chōji, it's not." They reached the back of the house. Everyone would be distracted by the ongoing celebration, so she could slip out past the east gate. It was never guarded during parties since it was so overgrown. Stopping, she looked out at the darkened village. She wondered briefly if she was making a mistake. Taking a deep breath, Miho turned to her brother. "I—I'm sorry. I gotta—"

"I never asked. Never asked what all of it is or what it was. Why. I never asked. And I'm not going to ask now." He chewed on his lip before raising his head. "I just hope that someday, you can tell me. Because you can tell me." Miho surged forward, throwing her arms around him. He gave a wet laugh, returning the hug with such fierceness that Miho gasped. "You can trust me, Miho. I won't let you down."

"I know." Miho stepped away. "I know. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay."

Miho ran.

* * *

She was halfway there when the alarm sounded. Two blasts. Level Two. Chunin and higher on alert. Genin and down, along with civilians, off the streets. No imminent threat. Miho tried to ignore how her heart lept into her throat as she sprinted past the chunin main office and the Academy. Naruto would be headed for a heavily forested area, but Miho couldn't remember where that was. She could see the images in her head, but with no context. Coming to a crossroads, she skidded to a stop and looked down the two paths. If she got caught out during a Level Two, she'd be in trouble.

It was a risk she was willing to take.

There was a building in her head, an outpost or a station.

The closest station within Konoha was in the northern forest. It was a "seal maintenance site." They'd visited during the first years of the Academy. Which meant that the site was a decoy used for storage. Miho spun on her heel and darted in that direction.

She wasn't winded when she arrived to the edge of the forest, but her fear made her breathing quick and painful. Her memories of that scene— that battle— were blurry. Mizuki and Iruka and a large shuriken. Naruto's clones.

Taking the bō from her back, she whipped her fingers on her dress and affirmed hold on the wood. Her bandages aided in her grip since they were coated in a sort of plastic tar. At the very least, the staff was comforting. Its presence was reassuring.

Naruto was out here. She could feel it. She could feel it in the very fiber of her bones.

"Never been my thing. Like I wasn't supposed to have a family."

Miho gingerly moved around a large poplar, edging around some undergrowth. The darkness was disconcerting. Her eyes felt impossibly wide, but she couldn't see much of anything in the dim moonlight. Naruto probably wasn't scared of the darkness.

"Then, you showed up and I got to see what a real family was like, ya know?"

Even with the extra help from herself and the others, Naruto hadn't graduated. And Miho left him alone. He said that she was like family and she'd left him for the sake of the plot. Thankfully her bō was reinforced Nara wood or else it would've shattered under her grip. Another lurch of fear shot through her stomach. She made a mistake.

Such a big mistake.

"So, what's a baby genin doin' out here?"

Miho swept the bō around by instinct, barely withholding a yell of surprise. The man caught it with his right hand, crossed over his body. She would've struck his head if the hit had landed. His expression in the moonlight was exceedingly dull. He kept his grip on the staff and pulled something from his mouth with the left hand. Letting out a breath, Miho tried to relax— to show herself as anything but a threat.

This guy was a jōnin.

"You're a jumpy one, aren't you?" He raised his brows, releasing the staff. Miho drew it away, a little unsettled by his nonchalant shrug. She took a couple steps back, trying not to shake. She didn't have time to get caught. "You realize that we're in a Level Two alert, right? That means baby genins and under stay inside. You're outside. What's the deal?"

Brows drawing together, Miho didn't know what to say.

Others would've immediately issued a warning for insubordination, he was asking for an explanation—whoever he was. A bandana was drawn around his head and his hair dipped to his shoulders. He replaced something back into his mouth— Was that a senbon? She couldn't remember his name or what he did. And he waited, hands going to his pockets. Miho didn't know what to say.

My friend stole the Super-Secret Sealing Scroll thing because one of our old teachers is a sick son of a bitch who gets off on torturing people. Oh yeah, and Iruka is out here somewhere too.

OR

Just thought I'd take a stroll in the middle of a Level Two, no big deal.

When all else fails, honesty.

"My friend is somewhere out here. I can't go hide; I need to find him."

Miho tried to make it sound as confident as she could. She even stood a bit taller, aided by her staff. Because it was solid, she could be as well. That's what Elder Torifu taught her.

"Looking for a friend, huh? Okay, then let's see if we can find them. What's their name?"

She pulled in a breath, puffing herself up as much as possible. "Uzumaki Naruto."

His nonchalant demeanor fell away. Brows pulling together, he stared down at her with narrowed eyes. To her surprise, he lowered himself down to one knee to get on her eye level. Miho tried reel in her urge to run. There was a threat in the air, she could feel it. "You know where Uzumaki is?"

"He's out here somewhere." It was time to lie and Miho steeled herself. "He didn't graduate with us. Teacher Mizuki told him that if he could steal some sort of Super-Secret Scroll or whatever that he could graduate. Told him to meet out here." Miho tightened her grip on the staff. The guy's eyes shifted to her grip. "Mizuki is a liar and a jerk and Naruto shouldn't've trusted him. I've gotta find him." Her muscles shifted, but she controlled the urge to run again.

He considered her for a moment, shifting the senbon between his teeth. "You said Mizuki told him to steal it?"

Miho nodded.

"Well, shit."

She barely withheld a caustic snort. Instead, she refocused. "Please, Jōnin, sir. Naruto's out here alone and I gotta help him. Please."

He could've been one of those psychos that hated Naruto. He could've been one of those nutjobs that made it his business to see Naruto suffer. Fear of that is what had her edging away. There was no escaping a jōnin. She was fast now, but she wasn't that fast. As if he'd read her mind, the man smiled around the senbon and stood.

"Well, let's get to it, little lady. We've got a wayward prankster to catch."

He jumped up to a nearby branch and jerked his head toward the denser forest. Miho felt her jaw drop.

"C'mon then. Let's go!"

She followed, heart thundering in her chest. She was one jump behind him for about three minutes before he spoke up, looking over his shoulder. "You got a name?"

"Akimichi Miho."

From what she could see, the corner of his mouth ticked upward. "Chōza's girl?"

"Yeah."

Naruto was out here somewhere.

"Okay. Listen up, Akimichi. They're about half-a-click north. I can sense them. I want you to stay out of the fight. Circle around and get to your friend. Leave the rest to me and Iruka. Got it?"

"Got it."

He nodded, clearly shifting into battle mode. It was like a shroud fell over him and every movement felt deadly. Chakra-enhanced Killing Intent rolled off of him in waves. Miho felt herself go a bit breathless with the force of it. Who the hell was this guy? She nearly didn't notice that he'd stopped on the next branch and he grabbed her arm to throw her to the branch above him, gesturing toward the a clearing nearby. Miho felt her breath catch.

"—created after an incident twelve years ago."

Naruto was looking up toward where Mizuki was positioned. "A rule?"

Mizuki looked more hateful than she had ever seen and every instinct within her demanded that she place herself in between that man and Naruto, at any cost. Her legs were shaking when she forced herself to stay still. Shaking, she looked down to where the jōnin was watching the scene. He seemed to be strategizing, jaw clenched. Then, he glanced up and gestured with two fingers toward the left. Miho nodded and moved.

"It's a rule that everybody knows, but you, Naruto."

"Except me?" Naruto's blue eyes were hauntingly wide from what she could see as she ran to the other side of the building Iruka was pinned to. Miho was only a few feet away now, able to see the scrapes and smudges of dirt on his orange jumpsuit. Naruto's shoulders were shaking. "What is that rule?"

"Stop it, Mizuki!" Iruka shouted.

"A rule that forbids anyone from revealing that you are actually the monster fox." Miho felt the world go still and she sucked in a breath. She'd forgotten just how cruelly Naruto had found out— "In other words, you're the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, who killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village."

"STOP IT!"

"Everyone has been deceiving you all this time," Teacher Mizuki—No, just Mizuki—taunted. Miho felt her heart fluttering in her chest, terror settling heavily there. Her attention tracked toward where she knew the jōnin was waiting. "Didn't you find it strange? Didn't you find it strange how they treated you? Like dirt. Like they hated you for just being alive."

"No!"

"Naruto!"

"That's why you'll never be accepted in this—"

She remembered this.

She remembered this. Damn it.

If that jōnin didn't move, she would.

Miho threw herself forward from the underbrush beside the building, surging through the onslaught of chakra to situate herself in front of Naruto. Her staff was held at the ready. Naruto's eyes were still shut, chakra swirling. Vaguely, she heard Iruka gasp and groan as he leaned against the village. She could smell the blood.

"What?" Mizuki stopped short as he pulled the shuriken from his back. Miho narrowed her eyes and sank into her stance, digging in her toes. "What's one useless fat-ass going to do?"

Naruto's voice was shaking. His hand came to grip the fabric at her hip. Like he had all those years ago, in that alley. "Mi-Miho?"

"Sorry I'm late." Miho looked over her shoulder. "You ok?"

"N-No, I-I—"

A whirring sound filled the air and she heard Mizuki's voice yell out a command of death. Naruto, in his panic, stumbled back and fell. Miho's stomach lurched and she spun on her heel, seeing the shuriken in the air and— They wouldn't escape that, not with Naruto on the ground. She threw herself over him. It was instinct, pure and simple. Her bō fell away.

"Naruto, Miho, get down!"

Miho landed painfully, arm twisting with Naruto as he rolled. Then something heavy landed on her back and she was suddenly on her side. It all happened so quickly that she didn't even feel the snap of her left arm under her weight. Lying on her side, facing Naruto, Miho cringed. She was to the side enough to be outside of his caged arms, far enough outside to see the blade in his back.

Rolling up, Miho withheld a wince as her left arm jostled— sending sharp waves of pain through her upper arm and shoulder. Damn it. Grabbing the bō in her right hand, she pushed herself up and placed herself between Mizuki and Iruka's back.

"Useless. What do you think you can do? You just another person trying to convince him—"

"That's about enough of that, Mizuki. Dramatic as ever."

The jōnin dropped to the ground in front of her, crouching low.

"Genma! Just what the hell are you doing here?"

"Wh-Why?" Naruto's voice was so small and hurt and desperate. She moved to the side, glancing down at them. Iruka's eyes were clenched shut in pain. "W-Why?"

Miho shuffled herself backward as Iruka spoke, looking to the jōnin— Genma, she realized— for orders. He watched Mizuki carefully as the enemy dropped down from the trees. The jerk was listening. Listening to Iruka's words, the way he was trying to comfort Naruto. Miho noticed that Genma was angling, ready to block any oncoming attacks. But Mizuki's attack wouldn't be physical.

"He's just trying to butter you up so he can get that scroll back. He doesn't care about you. This girl doesn't care about you! He doesn't mean—"

Mizuki went to his knees, hands going to his throat and his eyes bulged.

Shuffling backwards, Miho could see Naruto's eyes go wide as Iruka shifted to kneel in front of him, still shielding him from whatever desperate move Mizuki tried next. Sure enough, his remaining shuriken was flying toward Genma and, behind him, Iruka again. While Genma blocked the attack, Mizuki was throwing around stupid words along with kunai, which pierced Iruka's flak jacket again before Miho was able to throw herself in front of them.

One kunai made it through the shield of her spinning bō, the rest deflected.

It lodged in her left shoulder.

Mizuki seemed to have swallowed the senbon that had been lodged in his throat.

"Why defend him? He killed your family, Iruka! He'll use that scroll to destroy the village! That's what monsters do."

"That is how monsters are, but that's not how Naruto is. He's overcome all of his hardships and he's more of a good shinobi than you'll ever be. He's not a monster! He's Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure." Iruka turned, pulling the large shuriken from his back as he shifted. Miho watched as Genma gave the teacher a side-eye. He made eye contact with her, attention skittering to the kunai in her shoulder before he jerked his head toward Iruka. Miho nodded and knelt down, setting the staff down into the grass.

Naruto was shaking, quivering as he stared into nothing.

"You think I can't take you all on?"

"You'd be a fool to, considering you just swallowed a poisoned senbon, but hey— you seem like you've gotten real stupid lately, Mizuki." Genma drawled with a small smirk. He shrugged.

Miho wanted to reach out to Naruto, who was crying, but just as her hand rose— he looked up and at her. His blue eyes were so sad, broken…hopeful.

She saw how understanding registered. It slid over him, slowly falling into place. Like the world was shifting. Genma and Mizuki were fighting in earnest now somewhere behind her. He looked at her face, eyes coming to focus on her shoulder and the blood melting down her nice dress and the kunai lodged there. Then, he looked to Iruka, who was breathing through the pain.

The tears stopped and Naruto stood, drawing the scroll up with him.

Then, in a blink, he was in front of Mizuki, kicking him across the clearing.

Genma stopped short, settling back onto his haunches to watch. He flipped a holster on his hip open, hand poised to start throwing needles. Naruto shot him a look, raising his chin and adjusting his goggles.

"Yo. Let me take care of this joker."

Miho tried not to laugh, but the huffed snort jolted her shoulder and she grimaced. Iruka did the same, the surprised laugh making him wince.

"If you ever touch either one of them again, I'll kill you!"

Mizuki scoffed. "I could destroy you in a single move."

"Yeah? Try it! I'll take whatever you got and give it back a thousand-fold!"

It was like a dream, watching as Naruto raised both hands to cross two fingers over the other. She'd seen it before, from a different angle, from a different world. She hadn't done anything to stop it, nothing to actually help. Again. Like so many other things she could've affected, but didn't. Out of fear or… Thousands of Narutos burst into existence around them. Some were on the limbs of nearby trees; some were leaning on their trunks. All of them look pissed.

Genma appeared beside her, kneeling between Miho and Iruka. "Figure I'll leave the beatdown to him. C'mon, let's get you over here." He hauled Iruka back toward a nearby tree stump, angling the teacher so that his back was not scratching the bark. He hurried back to her side, hands fluttering at the kunai. "C'mon over here, little lady. Let's watch the show. We need to get that stabilized."

Miho reached up with her good arm and unwound the scarf from her neck. Her brother would understand. "Use this for Iruka-sensei. I'm fine and the kunai's keeping the blood in, right?"

He opened his mouth and snapped it shut again while she looked back to where Naruto launched upon Mizuki like a— Well, like a maelstrom. The punches and kicks were so hard that there was a flurry of thuds, not unlike the drums from earlier. Miho watched in barely-concealed awe as Naruto fell upon Mizuki with a vengeance.

"Restraint's not really his thing." Miho said to no one, glancing back to Genma and Iruka as the former wrapped her scarf around her teacher's shoulders. "Iruka-sensei, are you okay?"

Her Academy teacher drew his eyes away from Naruto, the pride and adoration clear in them. That emotion hardened a bit when he saw the injury to her shoulder. And then it turned to solid rock when he realized who she was and where she was. "Akimichi Miho! What're you doing out here? You seriously put yourself in danger!" Naruto and his clones let out a few determined yells, pummeling Mizuki with renewed vigor.

"Naruto was in trouble." She shrugged, but then gritted her teeth. That was a stupid force of habit. She'd have to stop doing that for a while. "I'm not about to leave him to face something alone."

"Good." Genma nodded, settling back onto his haunches. The sun was beginning to rise. He looked at her. "You did good."

Everything was growing brighter. Miho wondered if it was symbolic, that sunshine. The sunlight. Like the dawn of a new story. Or a new chapter of an old one. A really old one. The significance wasn't lost on her. In a lot of ways, that sunrise was Naruto. He was sunshine, in so many ways.

"Stay like that. Damn it. No. Stop moving around Iruka, I swear—" Genma was fussing. Honest-to-goodness fussing. It was said with a sort of put-upon drawl, but it was fussing nonetheless. She adjusted her shoulder again, gritting her teeth as she watched. His attention turned to her and he narrowed his eyes. "Knock it off, Akimichi. Stopping moving your shoulder."

The clones disappeared from the clear in a collective puff of smoke, leaving Naruto standing over Mizuki's prone body. Miho felt no little satisfaction seeing the bloody mess of that jerk. Naruto stared at what remained, rubbing the back of his head. Sheepish. He actually looked sheepish.

"I guess I got a little carried away."

"A little," Miho nodded.

Naruto ran over, skidding to his knees in the grass. "You okay, Iruka-sensei? Miho?"

"Yeah." Iruka breathed, but the pain was evident. Naruto turned to her.

Miho batted Naruto's hand from near the kunai. He fretted with it, blue eyes darkened with concern. Like they always did when he was being serious. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Naruto, seriously…"

"But, Miho! You're hurt, too!"

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

"Are you serious? It's stuck in your arm! That's not a scratch!"

"It's a scratch!"

"Not a scratch!"

"Naruto." Iruka shifted forward. "C'mere a minute."

Naruto stopped fluttering at her shoulder, turning his attention to their teacher. Miho smiled, diverting her attention to the grass under her good hand. She knew what was coming and felt relief flood her entire body. It felt like an adrenaline high. Or perhaps she was coming off of an adrenaline high. Whatever it was, it felt good.

When she looked up again, Naruto had his eyes closed and Iruka had taken his forehead protector off. He shot her a grin, winking as he tied it around her friend's head. On the other side of them, Genma slipped a new senbon between his teeth, letting out a low appreciative whistle.

"You can open your eyes. Congratulations, Naruto. You've graduated."

Miho beamed.

She remembered— so, so long ago— watching that moment. It was clearer than many of the other images from the story. A teacher who made a positive difference. A teacher who saw the good in his student. Miho remembered…because it inspired her to be a similar kind of teacher, then and there. In her other life. She always saw the fight was a means to an end. It mattered less than this. That's why she didn't remember much of it.

But this?

This was the whole point.

"To celebrate, let's go out to ramen tonight. My treat!"

Naruto flew forward, throwing his arms around Iruka. Miho winced, knowing how painful that had to be with her teacher's injury. If he didn't have the scarf over his wound, the bark might've sunk into the hole in his back. Nevertheless, Iruka laughed and held Naruto close.

She hadn't changed anything. Not really.

Not in any way that mattered...

Maybe that was just how the story was meant to go?

"Beautiful scene, you two. You wanna invite us to ramen too or are we interlopers here?" Miho laughed, shaking her head in amazement. The guy was now leaning back against the tree, grinning down at the pair. He shot her a look, one that was actually a bit chastising. "My guess is that Akimichi there didn't bring any snacks with her. Which means breakfast is on me. Sage help my wallet. After we get the two of you to the hospital, of course. And that 'joker.'" He pushed off of the tree and walked over to the scroll, grabbing it from the forest floor and throwing it onto his back. If he happened to kick Mizuki in the face while he did so, then no one commented. "And, you know, we might want to return this. I've got a feelin' the Hokage might want it back."

He walked toward where Naruto was moving back from Iruka, setting the scroll down before him. Miho watched with no little amazement as he handed the scroll over to Naruto.

"I think you should return it, Naruto. Who knows, maybe the Hokage will let you learn another technique since you're such a quick study. Pullin' off that technique in less than two hours is dang impressive."

Naruto took it, eyes impossibly wide. Miho felt her breath catch.

Because this was Genma— whoever he really was, she didn't know, but she'd find out— saying something almost as meaningful as Iruka. He was acknowledging Naruto. Miho could barely draw in a breath. What—

"Help your friend, too, Naruto. I'll get Iruka. We'll take them to the hospital, okay? We'll leave the trash for ANBU."

He reached out and ruffled Naruto's wild blond hair, earning a slightly bemused beam from the boy.

Then, in the light of day, Naruto turned to her and smiled. Broadly, truly, and with as much love as she'd ever seen. Miho returned that grin, eyes closing from the fluff of her cheeks. For the first time in a long, long time, Miho had hope.

Hope that, just maybe, everything would really be okay.


	7. Part I: Narrative Transportation Theory

Shiranui Genma leaned against the wall, observing. It was just past six in the morning and he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. On the other side of the examination room, Akimichi Miho and Uzumaki Naruto were talking. It was a subdued exchange, far different from what he was expecting of the pranking terror that destroyed his dorm during his days in ANBU. Or the rambunctious heir to Kushina's legacy. Instead, at that moment, he looked way more like the Fourth Hokage, like Minato.

He knew his teacher's daughter was actually Chisato and Keisuke's. When she and her brother were just babies, he'd held them. Just a few months after…everything. That was before he'd thrown himself into ANBU and the world outside of shadow fell away.

"They're good kids." Iruka's voice spoke up, still quiet. Genma shifted the senbon between his teeth and sighed, shoulders sagging. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"Ready for breakfast? Yeah, I'm ready. Just waiting for Chōza-sensei to show up."

Iruka rolled his eyes, hissing a bit as the medic disinfected another kunai wound. Across the room, both kids looked toward the Academy teacher. If he channeled some chakra to his ears, he might've heard them. Genma instead read their lips.

"— gonna be okay?"

"I'm sure he'll be yelling again in no time. Besides, he owes you some ramen, doesn't he?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Not gonna tell you he doesn't care about Your Buddy."

"Buddy?"

She shrugged. "Can't say it loud and saying 'Thing' is rude."

Iruka drew his attention away. Genma tried not to acknowledge his inner countdown. It was only a matter of time before the Akimichi Clan Head showed up at the hospital. A little bit more time before he needed to submit his report to the Hokage. And shorter time still until his wallet died a horrible death. "Heads-up, Shiranui." The teacher nodded toward the door.

"Genma! What— Miho! Naruto!"

Chōza-sensei appeared in the doorway, looking a bit winded. Genma could only imagine how scared and frantic the man had been when he realized his daughter was missing. Then, getting an urgent message requesting his presence at the hospital. Pushing off the wall, Genma started forward and then stopped, watching as his former genin teacher rushed toward the children.

Both were swept up in an embrace.

Battle-hardened and one of the deadliest ninja in the village, Genma grinned, remembering how great his teacher's hugs were. He'd received more than his fair share growing up. Hell, the man even hugged him now. Akimichi were very tactile folks.

It seemed, strangely enough, that Naruto was completely comfortable with the hug. Perhaps even used to it. The rumor mill had done its thing over the years. The Akimichi were saints for taking Uzumaki into the fold. The Akimichi were heathens for forsaking the village to engage with a demon. The latter pissed Genma off.

And if a disciplinary reprimand was in his permeant file from a particularly brutal brawl at a seedy civilian establishment?

Well, the Hokage smiled when he wrote it.

"What in the world happened? Miho, explain. Now."

The girl immediately looked to Naruto. Something seemed to pass between them before she sat a bit straighter.

This only made her injury more visible. Genma grimaced.

"You're hurt!" Chōza hurried forward again, cradling her arm to get a better look at her shoulder. It was all wrapped up, set immobile by stints and bandages. The skin was healed, but the muscle was bruised. A week with limited movement. It could've been worse. "You best explain quickly, Miho, before I get impatient."

Genma resisted the urge to wince.

Because he was a jōnin— an absolutely deadly force— not a genin facing Chōza's wrath. Or even worse, disappointment.

"I— Naruto didn't graduate. Mizuki told Naruto that he could graduate if he stole the Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage. As proof of his abilities. Really, Mizuki was trying to frame Naruto and steal the scroll for himself."

Genma withheld a snort. That was context, not an actual explanation. He watched with no little amusement as Chōza's right brow rose.

It was such quiet disapproval that it always felt like a slap to the face. Genma had been on the receiving end of it more than once.

The girl seemed to realize that just context wasn't going to cut it.

"I went to find Naruto last night. After I ate the Seven, I knew I needed to find him. I knew that he shouldn't be alone." She grimaced, looking over toward where Iruka was sitting. The teacher waved half-heartedly. "Iruka-sensei was there. He protected Naruto. Then, a lot happened and I met—"

"'A lot happened' is one hell of an understatement." Genma interrupted.

"Genma. I wondered how you were involved given the summons that showed up on our doorstep." Chōza nodded to him and Genma took the invitation to step up and complete the story.

"Ran into your girl in the northern forest. Told me the same thing she just told you. I took her at her word and we found Mizuki, being an idiot and a traitor, and everything was just as she said. We're forgoing the fact that she was out and about during a Level Two."

Suitably looking chastised, the girl glanced to her shoes.

Still, Genma grinned around the senbon. "She also protected her friend and her fellow shinobi. Literally took a kunai." He raised his chin and tried to put on his best commanding officer voice. "Still, charging into battle without a direct order might not be the smartest move, little lady. Keep that in mind next time, yeah?"

Chōza actually snorted, the tension melting away. It wasn't quite gone— How could it be with his daughter injured?— but he eased his stance a bit. "Well, Genma, now you know what it's like on the other side."

Genma resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Barely. After all, he was an elite jōnin. Possessing decorum and all that shit. "Yeah, well, she needs to work on not dropping the stick-of-death or whatever when injured."

"I'll work on that," the girl spoke up. That earned her an amused look from her father. Naruto, for his part, slammed his fist into his palm and smiled. She looked at her friend and sighed. "Don't start calling it the 'stick-of-death.' I'm begging you."

"'Bō' sounds boring."

"Iruka-sensei, are you alright?" Chōza questioned, seeming used to the bickering that erupted between the two. He tuned them out.

While his teacher went to speak with the Academy instructor, Genma went back to his observations. If anything, it was entertaining. The girl and Uzumaki got along well and had obviously grown closer through the previous night's events. They settled the debate— Naruto deciding to forgo the battle for the war, Genma suspected— and lowered their voices. Genma leaned against the wall by the door, seeming to study his shoes on the tile. Really, he was eavesdropping.

On a couple preteens.

He'd had better nights and better mornings.

"Your dad let that go pretty quick. Think he's gonna be mad I stole the scroll? The old man wasn't. Not really. I could tell."

She gave an aborted shrug, frowning at his look of admonishment for moving her shoulder. Genma feigned interest in whatever Chōza and Iruka were discussing. "No, I think he's just happy we're okay."

"Chōji's gonna— Oh shit, Ino's gonna kill you."

"She's gonna kill you too. Don't think you're getting out of her wrath."

Yamanaka Ino, Genma figured. Inoichi's girl. Akimichi Chōji, Chōza-senei's son. The two of them, plus Nara Shikamaru, were set to make up the Second Ino-Shika-Cho team. Asuma's kids. Considering the tone with which both kids lamented, that bearded jerk was in for a time. Genma has half-tempted to place bets.

"Yeah, whaddya think Bushy Brows is gonna say when I tell him you threw yourself in front of a kunai?"

"That I'm full of Youth and am a Beautiful Bosom Friend whom he would Never See Injured lest it affect the Balance of Youth and Beauty in the world." She laughed lightly at her impression. Genma made another connection— this 'Bushy Brows' had to be none other than Guy's protégé. "Or something like that."

"And Shikamaru?"

They both grinned and spoke at the same time. "We're 'troublesome.'"

Genma wasn't amused.

Really, honestly, he wasn't.

Damn it.

"—not all that surprising. Miho's been protective of Naruto for years."

Chōza was saying as Genma pushed off the wall to join the adult conversation, just as the medic finished tending to Iruka's back wound. She bowed and made her way out, saying that the discharge process would be complete once Iruka picked up his prescriptions.

"That group looks out for each other. I wouldn't be surprised if it is actually Shikamaru that chastises them into actual guilt."

Iruka snorted, looking sadly at his ripped flak jacket. Genma felt some sympathy. The death of a favorite jacket was something to be mourned. "Nara Shikamaru is an ace manipulator if he can be motivated to do it."

"Chōji's been a nervous wreck all night." Chōza said with no small amount of grief. "He's kept his lips sealed about when she left. Gave us some kind of sickness excuse. Couldn't get a word out of him."

"Chōji's a strong one. He's not the type to back down when he believes in something." Iruka commented. And he would know, considering how long he'd been their teacher. "He's loyal, too." After a moment, Iruka straightened and winced. He held Chōza's eyes for a long moment. "It'll be Shikamaru to put them into place. It'll be Chōji that motivates him to do so. And it'll be Ino who—"

"Scares all of us into compliance."

"Mhm. Mhm." Naruto agreed. He was at her shoulder, circling his arm around her like she was about to fall his direction for some reason. Like some energetic buffer between her and the world. Genma tried not to think that the action was adorable. "Ino's scary."

Chōza-sensei chuckled, leaning down to look both kids in the eye, hands propped on his thighs. "I heard that Genma here promised breakfast?" The girl grinned widely, looking to him with wide, excited eyes. Her father sobered. "Do not think that either of you have escaped a discussion about what happened last night."

Both kids nodded.

"And don't forget that knowledge of all that must remain a secret." Genma charged, looking at both children to impress upon them with the importance.

It wasn't as if the Hokage hadn't made it clear that Naruto's secret was absolutely essential to maintain.

When the Hokage had left the examination room, the kids looked to each other and nodded. As if confirming to each other that they got it.

"We understand!"

Genma deflated, feeling for all the world that he was being taken advantage of with his teacher's presence. He looked to the older man and tried not to grimace. "You're tagging along, aren't you? Is this payback?"

Chōza smiled sweetly— so sweet that it made Genma want to run. "Now, Genma, why would I want payback?" He laughed, clapping a hand onto his shoulder. The weight rattled his whole body. "Besides, the way I hear it, karma has already come around to you, my student." With a rare wink, the Akimichi Clan Head ushered the kids from the room. "Naruto, you're coming to our house to get cleaned up before Academy. After all, you will meet your team today."

Staring at the door where they disappeared, Genma let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Iruka practically giggled behind him. The irritating chūnin was definitely amused by this whole affair.

"I've seen Miho eat six plates of bacon and seven plates of eggs. It might've been more, but I left before I saw the total."

If he, a very well-respected jōnin and much feared shinobi of Konohagakure, wailed in despair— Well…

* * *

"I won't chastise you for helping a friend. And I won't punish you for helping Naruto." Her father stated carefully, hands firmly on his knees as they sat in the living room. Naruto was getting washed up in her bathroom upstairs while Chōji put his orange jumpsuit through the wash. Miho'd taken one look at her brother and felt guilty. "We raised you to be the kind of person that looks out for friends, that protects them. We raised you to care for family. And Naruto is practically family. However, what Genma and Iruka said concerns me."

Miho nodded, trying to keep eye contact. "I understand."

"How did you know something was wrong with Naruto?"

"I…could feel it." It was the truth, somehow. She didn't want to lie. She lied too much. She'd have to keep lying. "I knew he didn't pass. I just…I knew that something was wrong."

"So, you left in the middle of a Level Two."

Her head shook. "I left before. I was on the street when the alarms sounded. I kept going. Naruto was the reason forthe Level Two. I couldn't leave him out there. I knew I'd get a reprimand or maybe even a dismissal. I went anyway."

He stared at her, eyes critical. It was rare that her father shifted into his shinobi persona with her or Chōji, but he'd been shaken and he needed to understand why her arm was bandaged and why she now knew one of the village's biggest secrets.

"Genma said you were barely hiding your chakra."

Then, she grimaced. "I'm not good at suppressing."

"He also said that you failed to wait for orders."

Her mouth opened then snapped shut again. "That's true."

"Miho, I understand. I do. But you will have to trust your leaders to know what is right, and to know what actions to take. Trust, it seems, is your biggest obstacle." She jolted at his tone and the way he pitched his head forward to look her in the eyes. "You are a kunoichi now. You will need to trust those around you. If you cannot start with your brother and your family and your friends, then what?" His lips pulled up in a sad smile. "I fear for you if you cannot trust."

Her mouth opened again, but she couldn't seem to force any words out.

All of the various lies that came into her head were too much.

"You did not even trust your brother. I believe that is the part of this that bothers me the most, Miho." Her father sat back, eyes closing as he took a large, steadying breath. Heat gathered behind Miho's eyes. "You do not trust him. You do not trust us. In many ways, you do not trust Naruto."

His eyes opened again, sharp and unwavering.

"Trust is essential if you are to be a good kunoichi. You will have to trust your teammates. You will have to trust your leaders. Lack of trust will get you killed."

Miho swallowed. The truth was: she didn't trust her leaders. The Third Hokage had let so, so much go over the years. In many ways, he was at fault for the Uchiha Massacre. He was at fault for Naruto's treatment. He was at fault for Orochimaru's actions. He was at fault for Danzo and Root.

How could she trust a leader like that?

And how could she trust that what she knew wouldn't end with her untimely death?

How could she trust that her literally indoctrinated friends and family wouldn't out her to the leadership she didn't trust?

Ino agreed with her. Ino was the only person she trusted implicitly, with no doubts or reservations. Ino knew her better than anyone else, knew what was coming. Ino had already started making her own changes. She was the same at her core, but...

But the time was quickly approaching that her circle of trust would have to expand.

She'd need Ino to help.

As always.

She needed more people to help— beyond Ino.

Her father took her silence as reluctance. His demeanor shifted. He was a patient man and never truly lost his temper with her. This was the most irritated she'd ever seen him. "You should trust family, Miho, if no one else. Have we ever given you any reason not to trust us?"

Unbidden, Miho thought to that day when Naruto was beaten in that alley. How her father, Uncle Inoichi, and Uncle Shikaku would've let it happen in the other version of this world. How she loathed that fact. How her father had served on the same ANBU cell as Naruto's father and yet—

She shivered. She knew that, something that could get her killed.

How was she supposed to trust anyone?

"We have."

His voice was a bit fractured and uncertain. Miho flinched.

She'd never been one for hiding. Miho had always preferred to be honest and forthright wherever she could. So.

"I'm not good at politics. I don't know why you and the other Clan Heads didn't protect Naruto." Her father's eyes widened and his entire gigantic body jerked as if she'd struck him. "I may never understand it. And I…I…I'm sure there was some kind of decree about it. Like how nobody can know, but somehow everyone knows. I'm sure that decree says that no one clan could gain the favor of Insert Powerful Name here. Or something like that. I'm sure everyone expected for him to overcome all of it. I don't know how he was supposed to overcome all of it."

Her father sat in silence as she gained momentum. The frustration of the past five years building and building and building. The time that Shikamaru and Chōji walked away after Naruto had a mask thrown at him. The time that she and Naruto were thrown out of an Akimichi-owned grill. The time that grocers gave Naruto spoiled milk and bread and he got sick. The horror stories that Naruto told her about the orphanage, stories that he told with a smile.

Stories he told with a smile.

Stories that made her cry for him.

"I'm sure everyone expected that he would just deal with it. I'm good at math. You all grew up together. Your age or close and Uncle Inoichi's age and Uncle Shikaku's age. You're a good man, I know. I know that. And you were probably told that Naruto had to be alone. That it had to be this way. For the good of the village. For the good of the village. But, Papa, what is the 'good of the village' when one person is suffering? When a child is crying and hurting and feels trapped and alone, what is the village's good then?"

She didn't realize she'd come to stand until she noticed that she was at her father's eye-level. She stared at him.

"Maybe I'm…stupid. Or something. That I just don't understand it."

Nevermind the fact that her words could be taken as the words of a traitor.

He took a deep breath and held it, chest puffing out as his eyes closed. "I…have no excuse." His eyes opened. "There are…histories at play here that you don't know. Those histories make his situation impossible."

But she did know.

And maybe this was one time that she could change something.

This was a gamble.

This was a gamble she'd have to take.

"Papa, please…I—" Terror tore at her stomach and she barely kept herself from shaking. "Can we turn on the privacy seals?"

His eyes widened a bit at the request. The privacy seals were rarely used unless her father was getting an in-house debrief from his teammates or family technique secrets were being shared. She had never requested her father to activate the seals.

At her age, she shouldn't have had any information that demanded those seals in the first place.

He stood, walking over to the wall where the seal was painted. It glowed green under his palm and the chakra echoed over the space before settling.

"Miho, whatever you say to me is said in confidence. You can trust your father, I swear it."

"I know, Father." Miho nodded, trying to conquer the nerves that made her hands shake. He flinched at the formality in her tone. She ignored it.

She curled her fingers around the hem of her dress—which she had yet to change. She'd need help getting washed up and dressed. Blood was still matting the whole left side.

He remained standing, hands holding to his belt.

"I— I guess he doesn't know because of Iwagakure? Or…maybe because he might hate his father for what he did to him? Sealing him like that? It doesn't make sense not to tell him who his parents are."

Her father was normally a very stoic man, with an easy smile and a relaxed air. All of that was gone. In front of her stood a legendary jōnin who'd destroyed entire battalions during war. His expression was like the edge of a naginata's blade.

"How did you learn of his parentage, Miho?"

"He contains the Nine Tails. The Fourth defeated the Nine Tails. His last name is Uzumaki and there's only been two Uzumaki in the village besides Naruto— Princess Mito and The Red Hot Habanero."

Miho's voice was shaking.

It was shaking because her father was leaking Killing Intent. He was controlling it, but it was still there. It felt like a knife to her throat. Her father was using Killing Intent on her.

She weathered it, gritting her teeth.

"You shouldn't know that, Miho."

"Why doesn't he know? Papa— Father, why make Naruto a pariah when he doesn't have to be? The only thing I can think of is because people would've been gunning for him or using him as a political tool. And he would've been useless to stop it as a civilian. People would've used him or killed him. Or both, I guess."

"Miho—"

"So, he was isolated. No political leanings, no actual weight. Just a nobody from Konohagakure. No parents. No roots. Sometimes, no food or bad food. And a nobody with no roots and no good food has no enemies. But a nobody with no roots…has no one."

She shook, staring up at her father. She felt so much older than her age in that moment. The weight of years spent in silence overcoming her in her fatigue.

How long was it since she'd last slept?

Her stomach growled.

"Miho…" He trailed off. The Killing Intent slowly abated and then dissipated altogether. She let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry." His great shoulders rounded forward as he moved to kneel in front of her, large hands coming to cover her own. She saw moisture in his eyes. "I…should not have…"

"It's alright, Father. It was from fear. I know."

He nodded but did not look convinced. She wasn't convinced either, and that fact hurt.

"As for what you have said, you are right. He should have been told. He should know. What I say now is insubordination, against the decree."

Miho felt that proved her case.

"Naruto would have many enemies if his lineage was known. His father and his mother had many who would want their offspring dead or worse." He chewed on his lip before nodding. "We have not made many political allies by having Naruto over so often. So, yes. The lack of action was political. And it was shameful. It is shameful. I served his father, had friends and family die to protect him and Naruto's mother. Each of the major clans sought custody, but no petition was granted. He was too large of a chip, so he sat in the middle of the table."

Miho felt sick at the illustration of Naruto as a bargaining chip. A bargaining chip was an inanimate object. A bargaining chip didn't have feelings or needs. Naruto was a person, a child. A living being. He deserved more. He deserved to know who he was. Her shoulder ached as she attempted to roll it.

"Naruto is a person. A good person. He's not a demon and he's not a bargaining chip." Her chin rose as she dared her father to say anything different. "It shouldn't feel like I'm a traitor to my own village for thinking that."

It seemed her father had no response to that.

Instead, he lowered his head.

"If I can change things, Papa, change things for the better…I have to start with him. I have to." She twisted her hands until she was holding his hands. "I am Akimichi Miho and I'm going to protect Uzumaki Naruto with my life. And some day, when he's the Hokage— because he's going to be Hokage— I'll be his guard." Miho held her father's gaze when he looked at her once more. His expression was a mixture between proud and horrified and scared. "I'll guard his back and I'll guard Chōji's back. And Ino's and Lee's. And Shikamaru's. I'll be the rear guard for everyone. Their shield."

A shield.

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Images flew through her head as she lost focus. The other life surged forward, throwing moving pictures and symbols and stories into her head like a hurricane.

A literal shield.

A literal…shield.

"I'll be a shield."

Her father's breath seemed to catch and Miho felt her heart clench. Grief was painted in his eyes. She didn't know what ghosts he was seeing, but he was certainly seeing someone else. Perhaps her biological mother? She didn't know. Miho wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"I— I understand, Miho. Protect you friends and family in the best way you know how. I only ask…as your father… that you learn to trust. You can't do any of this alone."

Miho nodded and squeezed his hands. There was no resolution in this talk, not really. She hadn't really told her Truth, but she did speak her mind in a way that she never had before. For now, that was enough. She'd told him her feelings. She'd told him as much as she was comfortable.

Who knew if anything would come of it.

One thing would: Miho now had a goal.

Miho had a plan.

* * *

Chōji was giving her the silent treatment. It wasn't his normal M.O. for disagreements. Normally, Chōji called out things he didn't agree with. He was truthful and stubborn and determined. Despite his lack of self-confidence, with those he was close to, he would tell them his problem. Her brother was the kind of person to say things straight-out. So, his silence was rubbing her the wrong way.

She'd changed slowly while her mother fretted with her bandages and her ruined dress. Her mother's tutting continued through the bath. Only once did she bite back a yelp as she slipped on her brown t-shirt.

Her mother had declared that she needed a new outfit to meet her team, but Miho fought against that as much as she could. Her team would need to work with her regardless of her fashion. A brown t-shirt, black pants, and a burgundy obi-like belt was sensible enough without making her feel uncomfortable. If anything, the belt emphasized her size.

Her mother pulled her mass of black curls up and away from her face, tying the forehead protector around her neck.

When she'd stepped out into the hallway, Chōji had been there. He was waiting, eyes sharp and critical. For a moment, he looked a lot like Papa. Her studied the curve of her shoulders, the bags under her eyes, and the bandages around her left arm. When he jerked his head toward the stairs, Miho knew she was in for a long day.

Walking to the Academy was arduous, frustrating, and downright irritating. Chōji was dead silent. Naruto was fidgeting, observant enough to notice Chōji's quiet seething. Miho— in some random burst from another life— wanted a beer.

"— and then, you know, it was over. Miho was awesome though. Never seen someone take down civilian robbers that fast." Naruto let out a peal of nervous laughter, scratching the back of his head. "Miho gave them the what-for after that, you know!"

That was one telling of it.

In each telling, the story changed.

Confusion as cover.

Naruto was a master at it.

The story changing each time had Chōji getting more and more agitated. Now, he was frowning and his brows were knitted together. It wouldn't be long before he lost his patience. She could see all the tells, but couldn't do anything to stop them.

Naruto bounded along, practically bounding with glee. "Who do you think our teams will be? Being on a team with Miho would be awesome! And maybe Kiba? Or you, Chōji! I'm sure whatever teams we're on will be awesome! We'll get awesome teachers too!" Miho tried not to correct him, already knowing everyone else's teams but her own. "Just as long as I'm not on a team with that bastard Sasuke."

"Don't call him that, Naruto. It's mean." Miho interrupted. "Choose another name."

"Wha— Why? That's what he is." Naruto threw his arms behind his head and Miho stared at him, not backing down. He blew a raspberry and sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll pick another name, but he's still a jackass."

"Never said he wasn't." Miho smiled slightly, knowing that dynamic was likely to never change. Sasuke's path to vengeance and all that wasn't something she could affect easily. Then again, she didn't want to help him along it either. "If you get on a team with him, try to be nice. You have to work together."

"That jerk isn't gonna be on my team!"

"Miho, I wanna talk."

Miho stopped, turning to look at her brother's downcast face. Naruto stopped as well at her shoulder. And, somehow more observant than anyone gave him credit for, took off toward the Academy. She watched him run before he waved over his shoulder. "See ya inside, Miho, Chōji!"

"I'm mad at you." Chōji said after a moment. Miho nodded. He bristled a bit at her easy acceptance of it. "I don't like being mad at you, but…Miho, this isn't fair. It's not. You knew. You knew something was wrong and I don't know how you knew. And I've been thinking about it. I'm not as stupid as people say I am. Shikamaru's my best friend. I'm not stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid."

"No, you think I can't be trusted. That's even worse."

Miho swallowed down her kneejerk denial. After her conversation with their father that morning, she recognized how much damage she was doing by keeping her secrets. Perhaps she'd never tell Papa, but Chōji? She'd always planned on telling him, someday, somehow. "I— You're right."

He nodded. "It's good you protected Naruto. I'm not mad at you for that. I can't be. But there's something else going on. Something else has always been going on."

"I'll tell you."

That brought him up short and his eyes opened to stare at her. She held that gaze for a long moment before hesitantly reaching for his shoulder. He let her grip it, the anger melting from him and the tension leaving his body as he sagged. All that was left was her tired brother.

"I'll tell you tonight. I promise. I'll…I'll need Ino there. She…She can help. It's difficult to explain."

"Ino knows."

"Ino knows. She knows a lot more than she ever lets on." Miho chewed on her lower lip. "I didn't tell you because it's—it's a lot. It's not that I didn't…don't trust you. It's more because— Life won't be the same after you know. It won't. After Ino found out, she changed. You change when you know. And I didn't want you to change. I wanted you to live without knowing for a while. I'm…" Her head shook and she noticed how his eyes fell to the bandages.

"You knowing whatever this is ended up with that. You got hurt."

"This won't be the worst of it, Chōji. I'm sorry."

His head shook and he pulled out his bag of chips, popping a few into his mouth. It was the first snack she'd seen him eat since she returned that morning. "I want to know. You're my sister and I want to know. You can trust me."

He held out a chip.

It was an olive branch. Forgiveness.

Miho took it and let her brother walk by her side to the classroom, as if he were guarding her from the world. For that short walk, she let herself believe it. Believe in it. That kind of innocence wouldn't last for long. She knew she best savor it while it still existed.

Shikamaru was already in the classroom, head resting on his folded arms. Chōji made a beeline for his friend, waking him from his nap to speak in low tones at the back of the classroom. She wasn't an idiot. With the way Shikamaru's critical eyes flicked to her and then to Naruto, she knew Chōji was relaying the whole affair from the previous night.

Sighing, she turned to find Ino.

Her friend was waiting, arms crossed and foot tapping. A flash of fright crossed her face before she schooled it away. Ino was a master of emotions— in a way that no one else seemed to notice. She stepped away from the fangirls, flicking her newly cut short hair as she moved. Miho smiled at the style.

It was like when they were kids.

Ino stopped, hands resting on her hips. "You wanna explain or do I just need to beat up anyone that looks at you funny?"

Miho waved her away with her good hand. "You're a good friend, Ino. And the haircut looks great."

Her mouth opened to say "I know that" when she stopped, eyes falling onto the bandages and Miho's stiff posture. "You went to help then?"

"I couldn't not."

Ino actually smiled a bit, sinking down into the seat next to her as Miho settled down. Her tablemates had yet to arrive and she wondered if they had somehow failed the exam. She'd actually had confidence both would pass, but… "I— You know, the big changes start now. I don't just mean my hair." Her voice lowered and she leaned forward to whisper. "We're going to make it change."

The Akimichi nodded. "For me, I have a plan. And we need to tell Chōji. Tonight. At twilight, my house."

Ino sat back, crossing her arms again. "Figured that would come sooner rather than later. D'ya want to show him?"

Miho shrugged, but then winced. Ino sat up straight, eyeing her carefully. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"Yeah, we'll talk about that later."

"I'm sure we will." Miho accepted her fate there. "Showing him is easier than explaining. And you've gotten even better with the Mind Walk technique. You're a prodigy. It's no wonder you're ranked first in the class." Ino flicked her bangs and grinned. "Anyway, it's up to you on the other one."

Miho nodded toward where Shikamaru was speaking to Chōji. His eyes cut in her direction, sensing the attention. When his dark eyes narrowed, Miho cringed. She really was in for it. Shikamaru was the worst when he got on a soapbox.

There was a collective gasp from the rest of the classroom and it seemed to reverberate in the walls. Miho looked down just in time to see Naruto recoiling away from a flushed Uchiha Sasuke. He flung himself backwards as if he'd just been scalded.

"What in the—"

Ino snapped her fingers, drawing Miho's attention back to her. "Focus, sweet bun." Rolling her eyes, Miho made sure to keep her eyes on Ino when a raucous fight broke out on the levels below. "I think it needs to be both of them. Shikamaru's a layabout— and that utterly pisses me off— but there's no denying he's a genius. He'll be useful. Not to mention, he's capable of chastising basically anyone into compliance."

Miho deadpanned. "Ino, that's you."

"Funny that you say that," Ino simpered.

Finally, Iruka arrived. Ino patted her head as she moved away, letting Koji settle into his usual seat. He shot her a smile, which turned concerned when he saw the bandages. Miho just smiled in return, knowing that he wouldn't ask. On her other side, Shino sat down. With a prim nod, he looked toward their instructor.

Thirty. Thirty graduates.

Ten teams.

Historically, that was a large graduating class.

"Your team assignments are final. I don't want to hear any complaints!" The command was said with such a tone that a couple students— or former students?— cringed.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Miho held her breath for each one. She knew that she wouldn't end up on Team Ten or Team Eight or Team Seven. Her rank in the class was the top third, but that meant that she was fairly average. And that meant that her team arrangement would be by skills and emphasis rather than academic merit. And she didn't have history supporting her team structure like Seven, Eight, and Ten.

"Team Five is Akimichi Miho, Koji, and Utatane Tetsuya."

She turned to Koji and stared for a moment before smiling. This wasn't so bad. He seemed like a good guy. They'd stayed in their seats for years because the arrangement just worked. He never insulted her and was always polite. He never made rude remarks to anyone and kept his head down to complete his work. Miho was actually pretty pleased. That was until she looked past him to where Utatane Tetsuya was wiggling his fingers in a teasing wave.

"This could either go really well…" Koji trailed off, looking between their teammate and her.

"Or really bad." Miho nodded, glancing at her teammate's half-resigned smirk. Behind him, she could see Tetsuya frowning at the lack of attention being paid to him. "I'll try my best, Koji. I want to make our team work."

"Same. And if that jerk gets mean…Well, we'll just show him the error of his ways. 'Sides, he just doesn't know how good he's got it!"

Snorting a laugh, Miho grinned. Koji kept a low profile in class, but she already liked his mentality and his good humor. Opening a bag of chips, she sat back to watch the entertainment of Team Seven's assignment. Naruto crowed like a loon, beaming at Sakura before deflating like a flan in a cupboard as Uchiha Sasuke was announced.

Team Eight was an obvious tracking team. Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino— the rest of the major clan heirs. Miho wished Shino and Hinata luck with Kiba. Even she had to take breaks from him whenever he was around the boys. Often, she hide with Ino, who scared Kiba more than anyone else in class.

"Team Ten is Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino."

Ino shot her a smile and a thumbs-up, winking dramatically at Shikamaru and Chōji. The former rolled his eyes and hid his head in his arms. Chōji smiled around a chip, waving at his new female teammate.

Miho quietly nodded in Ino's direction, catching the intensity of her friend's expression. She'd seen what she'd been like— then and there. Mean, insulting. Ino had been absolutely appalled at her own actions in that other version.

Her attention was diverted to Naruto, whose shoulders shaking. She knew what was coming, quickly wadding together a piece of paper before pinging at his head across the aisle.

He yelped, batting at the air wildly as he spun around. "Just what's the big idea?!"

Miho shook her head, holding up her good hand in a 'stop' motion.

His mouth opened, shut, and then opened again.

He looked like a fish and Miho grinned, shaking her head again. This time, she tried to convey her sympathy.

Sasuke pissed her off on the best of days, but he was also in so much pain that Miho could barely stand to look at him.

Or was that because of her guilt?

Finally, Naruto deflated and sank back in his chair. She could see he was muttering, but couldn't hear what he was saying.

"In the afternoon, I'll introduce you to your jōnin teachers. You're dismissed until then. Take the lunch period to get to know your team members."

Miho turned to Koji. "I brought extra today, if you're interested?"

"That's very nice of you. I appreciate it. Hey, Utatane, let's go eat outside, yeah?"

"Sure, sure. Why not?" Miho tried not to lose her patience with the glance-over Tetsuya gave her. Though, she did notice that his attention lingered on her bandages. "Maybe then Chubs can tell us how she got injured." Before she or Koji could respond to the name, he was out the door.

"I can—"

Miho waved him off with her good hand before grabbing her extra-large bento. "Don't bother. 'Chubs' doesn't bother me. Since we're using descriptors, I guess I can call him 'Stringbean.'"

Koji let out a guffaw, taking the bento box from her with a joking groan at its weight. Miho didn't quite know what to make of the politeness, but followed along anyway. "Do I get a nickname, too?"

"You want one?"

"We'll see what you come up with."

Tetsuya had somehow commandeered the picnic table farthest from the Academy building, on the other side of the training fields. She wondered if that was why he left so quickly, so he could lay claim to his favorite table before any of his buddies could.

She vaguely noticed that Team Ten was at the picnic table on the other end of the yard, awkwardly sitting around it with food at the center.

"Soooo, Team Five?" Koji questioned, settling down beside Miho. Tetsuya sat on the opposite side, pointedly staring at the food as she unboxed it. "Looks like we're in this together, folks."

With a small smile, she moved it to the center of the concrete before handing him a pair of chopsticks. His dark eyes went wide and he took them. She wondered if he knew the significance of Akimichis offering food.

Was it something his grandmother had taught him?

It was only after he'd taken a bite of grilled meat that he nodded:

"Thanks, Chubs."

"Call me that if you want, Stringbean." She said it with a note of challenge. Shrugging her good shoulder, she grabbed the soup thermos and spoon. Koji snorted a laugh beside her, falling into rough giggles. "Considering I gotta eat 25,000 calories a day — ya know— 'Chubs' isn't too far off."

Tetsuya sat with that for a moment. It was obviously new information for him and he was processing it. To be honest, Miho felt him rise a bit in her estimation. He was actually thinking it through. "Wait! Whaddya mean 'Stringbean' then?"

Miho just raised her brows and stared at him.

"I'm not a Stringbean. I'm lean and muscular. I'm wiry!"

"Sure, wiry, and Koji's the shortest person in class."

Koji choked on his water, barely catching it before it came out his nose. Tetsuya, red-faced and obviously irritated, chewed his rice with an angry tilt to his lips. Miho didn't know if she was overstepping, but she reached over to pat Koji's back as he recovered from his first near-death experience on their team.

"You know what Chubs?"

Miho turned, finding the anger gone from Tetsuya's face. Instead, he looked resigned and, perhaps, a bit excited. She waited, removing her hand from Koji's back as he muttered his thanks.

"You're alright."

Smiling around her spoon, Miho hummed. They settled into an easy sort of rapport, somehow. For all the years that Tetsuya had teased and poked, he didn't take a single swipe at her weight. Instead, she noticed, he left the higher calorie items in the bento for her to eat. Koji followed his lead, doing the same.

"No way! I'm into that series too!"

"So am I!"

"It's gotta be fate!"

Miho's amusement felt like carbonated bubbles in her chest. Koji and Tetsuya fist-bumped, looking to her for confirmation that she was part of this fixation on The Sky Temple series. "Personally, I think The Empire Falls is the best book in the series."

The two boys whooped. Koji flung an arm around her shoulder while Miho grinned at Tetsuya and fist-bumped his outstretched hand.

"We're gonna be a good team." Koji said, raising his cup of water. He waited for Miho and Tetsuya to pick up theirs, holding them up as well. "We're gonna do this. It's gonna be hard and we're gonna screw up, but we're gonna do this. Team Five! Let's do it!"

"Team Five! Let's do it!"

* * *

She sat with Tetsuya and Koji in the second row when they reentered the classroom. Behind them, Team Ten sank into their seats. She heard her name whispered as other teams filtered in and she turned to find Ino stretched out over the table, hand already cupped over her mouth. Miho leaned back to let her whisper into her ear.

"Two things. One, we're telling Shikamaru." Miho nodded in acceptance, trusting Ino's judgement. "Two, do you like your team or do I need to threaten them?" Dissolving into giggles, Miho gripped the back of Tetsuya's chair to keep from falling over. When she turned to Ino, it was to see her sharp attention on Miho's outstretched hand.

Slowly, Ino grinned.

Then, it was and outright beam.

"Good."

Miho turned to see Chōji smiling around a chip. His voice had been muffled by his chewing, but he swallowed and then nodded.

"Good, Miho. I'm glad."

"Team Five's the best team in this room." Tetsuya said as he turned around, sitting on the table with his arms crossed. Miho shot Koji a look and huffed. "Don't you forget it, Team Ten."

"We're literally twice you, Utatane." Ino retorted, mirroring his crossed arms. "No offense, Miho, Koji."

"None taken."

"I SWEAR I'LL BEAT YOU INTO THE GROUND YOU BAS—YOU JERK!"

Miho deflated, wincing as her shoulder and arm muscles pulled tight at the motion. Ino shot her a worried glance before looking toward the debacle that was Team Seven. Sakura was looking plaintively toward the ceiling, obviously praying to whatever deity would listen. Sasuke was doing his best impression of an indifferent jackass. And Naruto was riled, arms waving and ears red.

"Yo, Naruto!"

He spun around, ready to shout at whoever'd yelled at him. When he found Miho, he stopped still and his mouth snapped shut. Miho wasn't but she thought she saw a bit of respect from Sakura at Naruto's sudden silence.

"Naruto, Sakura is really, really smart! She's a good person to have on your team. Have you seen her do chakra exercises? Her control is awesome!"

He pouted for a moment before letting out an excited yell. "Hell yeah! I know she's awesome! It's the bas— jerk that I think is—"

"And Sasuke is super good at ninjutsu and taijutsu. He'd be a great person to spar with since your styles are so different."

"He doesn't have a style." Sasuke retorted, shooting her a glare.

Miho didn't flinch. Instead, she just weathered the look with a warm smile. Behind her, she heard Ino snort. "The absence of a style is still a style if you land the hits." With that said and the argument somewhat derailed for the moment, she turned to Tetsuya. "You were second to Sasuke in taijutsu, right?"

Startled, he turned to her. His eyes narrowed, but his lips tipped up in a smirk. "You were watching my spars, Chubs? I'm flattered. Yeah, I'm pretty awesome, but...Who would've thought Chubs would be my own personal fangirl?"

Koji nodded, eyes closing as if in thought.

"She literally made you eat dirt when we were seven."

Tetsuya sputtered, choking on nothing. She heard Koji let out a wheezing giggle that turned into another one of his outright guffaws. It wasn't Koji he turned his ire on; it was her. "I could totally kick your ass, Chubs!"

If she felt the murderous aura behind her, then she ignored it.

"The moment you can actually move me, I'll believe that, Stringbean."

"You two are freakin' adorable." Koji noted from the peanut gallery. It sounded like he actually believed it. Miho might've flushed at his tone, as if was talking about a bunch of puppies rather than his teammates. "But you may wanna cut it out before Team Ten decides to eviscerate our spirited- but tiny-teammate."

"I'M NOT TINY!"

"Alright, alright!" Iruka-sensei shouted, drawing attention. Behind him, a line of jōnin entered the classroom. Miho recognized two immediately— Sarutobi Asuma and Kurenai. Then, her attention landed on a familiar face. A face she'd only seen a few hours before.

His senbon shifted between his lips before he grinned around it, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Shiranui Genma.

When the first shinobi who entered— a stern-looking man with a large scar on his throat— got Team One, Miho did the math. He was watching when the realization hit her and she noticed the slightest bit of amusement. As soon as the pieces clicked into place, he winked. Miho felt a bit reassured at the obvious confirmation. He wasn't trying to be mysterious about it at all. She wondered if he'd known the previous night when he found her in the forest.

This would be okay. This would work.

"Team Five— you're with Shiranui Genma."

"C'mon, Team Five. Let's go."

She followed Koji, throwing a smile back at Team Ten. Ino winked and gave a thumbs-up while her brother waved with a chip in his hand. Naruto waved as well, looking a bit lonesome and put-out and eager at the same time. Miho forced away the guilt at his expression. There was no way she would've gotten onto his team. Not with her skills.

"Okay, so… I'm Shiranui Genma. You can't quite call me Genma-sensei yet, but we'll talk about that in a minute." He paused when they were outside, hand rising to block out the sunlight. She glanced to her teammates. Tetsuya seemed interested while Koji, despite her expectation otherwise, looked suspicious. "Let's go get something to eat. How about… takoyaki? I know a place."

Offering food to a team with an Akimichi was a tradition. She expected Team Ten's teacher would do the same. It went vice versa when an Akimichi was a teacher. The Akimichi teacher would cook. It was a way of honoring the importance of Akimichi supplies to the village, like how the Uzumaki were honored in the village's symbols. Food was symbolic. Food held a lot of meaning.

She took the takoyaki gratefully, nodding her thanks.

"So, let's do the get-to-know you stuff. I'll start us off, okay?" If he was nervous, he hid it well behind an impartial façade. There were no tells. Not like Tetsuya's bouncing right leg or the twitch in Koji's jaw. "Like I said, I'm Shiranui Genma and I'm a tokubetsu jōnin. My favorite food is pumpkin broth. I love travelling and learning about other cultures."

"Least favorite food?" Koji questioned, still a bit standoffish.

"Nah, not yet. That info can be used against me."

Miho giggled a bit, shaking her head. She could probably find out from her father. That made her start.

Her father was his teacher. Did her father ask him to—

"Go on then."

"I'm Koji. Just Koji." Miho felt him tense next to her, but she couldn't figure out why. "My favorite food is grilled fish. My least favorite food is spinach. My hobby is woodworking. And I like to read." He looked toward Miho, expectant. He wasn't even giving their teacher time to respond.

Miho raised her brows at Genma, waiting to see if she should disclose anything or not. Instead, she went for generic association. It was up to him to decide otherwise. After all, he was their leader now. "I'm Akimichi Miho. I have a lot of favorite foods, but I can be best tempted with takoyaki and ice cream."

"Noted," Tetsuya commented. This got Koji to snort.

"I hate ikayaki. My hobby is reading and studying and I love learning about history."

She turned to Tetsuya and waited.

"Utatane Tetsuya here. I like grilled pork and I hate, hate seafood. I like swimming and reading and— Well, comic books." He looked to her and Koji like they were going to laugh at him. When they didn't he relaxed and folded his arms behind his head, looking pleased as punch.

"Okay, so you're a bunch of nerds."

Miho barked a laugh while Koji's jaw dropped and Tetsuya froze. Genma-sensei seemed amused, even if he wasn't showing it. Just the slightest tick of the muscle on the right side of his mouth. If he was trying to be intimidating, it wasn't working. She'd seen him intimidating before, in the battle the previous night. This was nothing compared to that.

"We're already planning to form a book club."

This time, it was his mouth that fell open.

Then, he palmed his forehead. "I don't know what I was expecting." After a moment, during which the three kids shared triumphant looks, he sat back and crossed his arms. "Here's the deal, Book Club." Koji's elbow slipped out from under his head and he catapulted forward. "You have one more test before you're on the team. If you don't pass the test, then you fail and you'll be sent to the Genin Corps. If you wanna move along as a unit, then you pass the test. Got it?"

They nodded, eyeing each other.

"The test will take place tomorrow morning. Zero-six-hundred. You'll learn more then. Until then, talk amongst yourselves and…I wouldn't suggest eating breakfast."

He disappeared with his plate of takoyaki, like he'd never been there in the first place.

Miho felt the tension building in her chest before she growled. "That's SACRILEGE!" Quickly turning back and forth between the boys, she emphasized each word. "Do. Not. Skip. Breakfast. Tomorrow. That's a load of bullshit!"

"Language, Chubs." Tetsuya lightly admonished, leaning back against the wall to get a better view of his teammates. "Maybe we should, I dunno, listen to our teacher?"

Koji moved to the other booth, shrugging his shoulders as he slipped onto the creaking leather. "Could be about following orders."

"You can't perform well without nutrition. This was in standard mission prep procedures. Remember? Why do you think there are Akimichi nutritionists retained for each of the platoons? Hell, there's a nutritionist specifically for jōnin to monitor their caloric intake. This is a trick!"

Koji stared at her before flicking his eyes to Tetsuya. "What's your take, Beansprout?"

"It's Stringbean," Tetsuya corrected automatically with a flick of his hand. Miho saw Koji wink as he took a bite. "And I buy what Chubs is sayin'. Seems kinda stupid to go into an unknown situation with no food."

"We need to catalog our skills. And we need to figure out where we're supposed to meet this dude."

Miho stopped short, stick halfway to her mouth. "You're right! He didn't say where to meet."

"Mark 'observation' as one of Koji's skills." Tetsuya commented. "What else you got up your—" He stopped and stared at Koji's lack of sleeves with a perplexed expression. "What else do you got in that hat?" With triumph, he popped a pepper into his mouth.

"Loads of stuff, Beansprout."

Miho snorted.

"After we get done eating, let's head to that bookshop on Market Street. The one with the purple sign? They've got a sitting area we can plan in."

"We're going literal book club?" Miho questioned, raising her brows. She wondered how she'd come to love her team so quickly. It always felt like it would be a burner team. Every time she imagined it, she didn't think she'd do well on a team. Not when all of the other teams seemed to struggle so terribly.

Koji grinned.

"Let's go 'Literal Book Club'."

* * *

Of all the ways Team Five could have gone, Miho had never expected this. Her concerns about Tetsuya were put away, replaced by the respect needed for good teamwork. And Koji was quickly coming out of his shell. It was only around their teacher that his defensiveness showed up, even then it was like a controlled burn. A bit of smoldering heat. She'd spent the entire afternoon holed up in The Kunai's Edge bookshop on the corner of Market Street and the Eastern Road. They catalogued their skills and weaknesses. The got to know each other more.

She was a long-range fighter with good skills in taijustu and bōjustu. Tetsuya was a short-range fighter with excellent skills in taijustu and genjustu. Koji was a mid-range fighter with mediocre skills in taijutsu and pin-point accuracy in marksmanship with kunai and senbon. They'd settled on meeting at Training Ground Five, taking a risk that each team would be assigned to the corresponding field. Common sense, she figured, was their first test.

Miho knew…They could make it work.

Koji's nickname developed when he'd picked up a book about woodworking.

"Woodchuck."

If Koji threw the book at Tetsuya's head, then she sure didn't get up to stop it.

Now, she felt the nervous energy fluttering in her stomach as she drew nearer and nearer to the Akimichi compound. Ino's gold hair was obvious from half-a-block away, shining in the evening sunlight. Beside her, Shikamaru was leaning against the wall, head bent down as if he were napping standing up.

Knowing him, that was entirely possible.

"If your teammate starts calling you 'Chubs' nonstop, Chōji's gonna burst a blood vessel." Ino commented with a wave. "Please tell me you put a stop to it."

Miho smiled. "His nickname is 'Stringbean' now and he's 'wiry.'"

Shikamaru lost his balance and stood upright, eyes open. "You're calling him 'Stringbean?'" An almost sinister smirk broke on his face. "Chōji'll love that."

"I actually like my teammates a lot. We're a good match."

"Good." Ino threw her arm around Miho's good shoulder. "I didn't want to use force, but I could've if they were anything less than gentlemen. C'mon, Shikamaru."

"Bossy woman, just why am I here anyway?"

"Secret reasons. Just follow us."

Miho reached over and grabbed Ino's shirt, funneling all of her nervous energy into her grip. Ino patted her head, moving toward the gate. Ino was now almost her height, with an even bigger personality. "We going to the archive then?" Miho nodded and glanced back to see Shikamaru grudgingly following along. He was dragging his feet and looking particularly petulant.

"If we all do what you say, are you just gonna bait us with whatever the hell's going on or are you actually gonna trust us?"

Miho barely kept Ino from whipping around, keeping a firm grip on her friend's shirt. That was the shot from Shikamaru that she'd been expecting all day.

Chōji stepped out onto the porch as they approached the house, two bags of chips in his hands. He moved down the stairs and handed her one, opening it as he did so. His open eyes flicked to Shikamaru, who came to his side.

"So, you're telling Shikamaru too?"

"I— I didn't want—"

"That was more my decision than hers. She let me decide. He should know." Ino interrupted, looking to Chōji with a bit of edge in her stare. "Team Ten should know. You'll…You'll see why."

"See?" Shikamaru questioned before his eyes widened. Ino raised her brows, waggling her fingers. "You're kidding."

"Not kidding," Miho sighed. She jerked her head toward the direction of the old archive.

When they arrived in the small alcove study room on the western side of the clan archive, Miho rested a hand against the doorframe. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and pushed chakra into her palm, and then, into the wood. She felt it pulse and she opened her eyes to see the green chakra fading. The room was sealed, impervious to sound. Turning, she tried to collect her whirling, terrified thoughts.

This was unfair.

To them.

They'd never live without this knowledge.

She locked eyes with Ino and frowned. "I…Maybe we should give them a choice?"

Ino huffed, crossing her arms as she fell into one of the examination table chairs. "I guess." There was a subtle note of that is more than what I had but Miho tried to ignore it. She sometimes wondered if Ino hated her for what she saw and what she knew. Ino had said otherwise hundreds of times. "Once you guys see this stuff— what Miho knows— you won't be the same. You have to live with it, change with it."

Ino knew more than anyone. Her short hair was a testament to that.

"Whaddya mean 'what Miho knows'?" Shikamaru questioned, uncharacteristically serious. He looked to Miho for the explanation, crossing his arms. "Context is important."

"I want to see." Chōji stepped forward, leaving the bag of chips on the table. He reached for Miho's good hand. He pressed every bit of emotion into his fingertips as if willing her to realize that he was serious. That he meant it. That he wanted her to trust him. "Whatever's been haunting you, I want to know."

Shikamaru sighed, nodding. "Why do I get the feeling that this is gonna be troublesome?"

"Because it is."

Ino gestured toward the two chairs. "Have a seat, boys." As they sat, Ino turned to Miho and pulled her into an embrace. Both boys stayed quiet when Miho's forehead pressed into Ino's shoulder. She shook like a leaf. Like a leaf caught in an onslaught. "It's fine. They'll understand. They'll see. Then, you'll have more than just me."

Forearm braced on her good shoulder, Ino patted the back of her head with her other hand.

"Trust me."

* * *

**A/N:** I am amazed by the length of this chapter. Over 10,000 words. It's a lot. Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! It lights up my day when I receive a notice that someone has favorited/followed or reviewed this story! Have a wonderful day!


	8. Part I: Chekhov's Gun

Shikamaru flew out of his chair, kunai held at the ready. He stumbled back and the wood bench scattered across the stone floor. The noise jolted him. Frantic, his narrowed eyes looked for a threat that wasn't there— in the corners, at the windows, in the room. His chest heaved. Then, recognition flooded his face. With a shake, he lowered the kunai to his side. Miho could still see how white his knuckles were on the hilt.

Chōji's eyes opened, tears welling in them immediately as one arm rose to lay over his eyes. Miho felt her stomach clench as he sobbed. His entire body was quivering. She felt so sick. So, so sick. It felt like something terrible was writhing and rolling in her gut.

It was difficult to fight away the urge to cry, seeing them both so shaken.

She caused this. This was her fault.

Ino fell back into the chair Miho had placed behind her, sucking in big breaths of air through her nose. Her hand rose to press against her forehead while her entire body sagged. She'd severely taxed her chakra, Miho knew. This was so dangerous.

She never should have asked. This was her fault.

"It's— It's done."

"Mi— Miho…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

It'd been this way since they were babies.

If Miho cried, Chōji cried. If Chōji cried, Miho cried.

It seemed she still couldn't shake that weakness. She couldn't see through her tears and she fought not to sob like she did when she was a little girl. Her good hand rose to wipe her cheeks. Over and over and over. She didn't have a right to them. She didn't just see what they saw. She'd seen the same things for years. She knew what to expect. She knew the horrors.

Now, she knew horrors like the lines in her palm, foretelling a future nightmare.

It shouldn't bother her anymore. She needed to be stronger than this.

"Miho, I— That was…That was impossible."

"Obviously, it's not." Ino responded to Shikamaru, pulling a bit at her short hair. She pushed out of the chair and came to Miho's side. She knew Ino hated tears. More often, Ino hated tears that she couldn't do anything about. "C'mon. It's okay. They're shaken up, but they're fine."

"We're not fine." Shikamaru retorted, drawing in a large breath before expelling it so heavily that he seemed to physical deflate. He settled a hand on Chōji's shivering shoulder. "Definitely not fine."

Miho took the sleeve that Ino gave her, trying to calm her panic. This was close to what she expected, wasn't it? After all, Shikamaru had just witnessed the death of his father and Chōji had just seen the horrors of war. He'd just seen their father flat on his back, still as death. He'd seen thousands massacred and flashes of light on the horizon. As a thirteen-year-old. Miho pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing.

Selfish. It was selfish to drag them into this. How could she be so selfish?

In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Keep up your training.

Do your best when it all goes south.

It was a meditation technique that Elder Torifu taught her when her nightmares made it impossible to focus on training. The same words, over and over and over. Strike, block, spin. Spin, block, block. Strike, strike, spin. Again.

"Naruto's—"

"A hero." Ino finished for him, not allowing him to finish what could have been a negative thought. She puffed herself up to look bigger than her wiry frame allowed. Miho always thought it was funny when she did that like an angry rooster hellbent on proving it could win. "He's a hero."

Shikamaru leveled her a dull stare. Miho almost laughed, and might've if the atmosphere in the room wasn't so tense. Shikamaru had been closer to Naruto for years.

"I was about to say that too, if you would've let me finish. Troublesome woman."

Ino shrugged her narrow shoulders, settling now that Miho's panic attack had abated. "Might not've been your first response. Probably wouldn't be many people's response right now. I mean, obviously, it would've been there and then. You came back from the dead for him."

If her voice shook at that, then nobody acknowledged it.

Shikamaru certainly didn't.

He put away the kunai as if just realizing that he was holding it. He looked a bit ashamed as he slid it back into his holster.

"That was a whole different world. Your past life."

"I-It was."

"You died."

Chōji's voice was quivering. Tears were still streaming down his great cheeks and over his clan-markings. Miho bit the inside of her lips to keep herself from crying again as she watched him try to gain control. Water seemed to drip from his nose as he quickly brought both shoulders up to his face.

"You died, Miho! You d-died and Pa almost died! Shikamaru almost died! Our teacher died! We just met our teacher! He-He has-had a little— a little girl!" Chōji was quickly falling into a panic attack. Shikamaru's hand on his shoulder wasn't helping. Miho moved across the room in an instant, rubbing his back in circular motions. It was the only way to calm him when his sobs became this powerful.

"It's okay. I'm okay. Shikamaru's okay. Papa's okay. We're all okay. None of what you saw has happened yet."

"Y-Yes it did! You died."

Sucking in a breath, Miho fought away the images. Upside down, the pain under her right breast, the winds and rain. It haunted her, sure. Still. She still woke up choking on blood. That didn't matter though. Chōji needed her to be calm. Chōji needed her.

"She died. I'm me. You can mourn her. The 'me' there. She's not me, but she's still here. She's me. Yeah, though, she did die. It was terrifying, but…I'm still here." She stopped rubbing the circles as his tears abated dried and he looked up at her. Smiling a bit, Miho dragged her palm over his cheeks. "The nightmares, Chōji. All of this. These things are the nightmares."

It wasn't all of the nightmares.

No, the other ones she would keep to herself.

Under lock-and-key. She'd hide it, keep it away from the world.

The room fell into tense silence.

"There was no way you could've stopped the Uchiha Massacre."

Lifting her head, she stared into Shikamaru's sharp gaze. It felt as if she'd been struck. She wondered just how much Ino had shown them, how much she let them know. Her heart stuttered, sending a nervous thrill through her shoulders.

"There was no way it could be stopped. Not by you."

She glanced to Ino, wanting an apology or a shrug. Instead, Miho found raised eyebrows and crossed arms. A firm "I told you so" painted on her face. And, though Miho had never hit a friend outside of a spar, she was sorely tempted to cross the space and clock Ino with a right hook.

"That whole situation was troublesome, too deep and too old."

Miho didn't respond, turning back to Chōji. She needed an anchor. She needed something stable she had to stand for or she was going to fall. He was steeling himself now, she could see, like he always did when his convictions won out against his fear.

"How do we stop it?"

"Which part?"

"All of it."

Ino snorted, shaking her head. "We can't stop all of it. If we stop too many things earlier on, we won't be able to predict anything." She gestured vaguely toward Shikamaru. "Wouldn't the butterfly effect apply here or something?"

"There's already waves just by Miho's presence. She wasn't in that version, was she? She's already changed all of our stories, somehow."

Stories.

Miho flinched.

She was like Chekhov's Gun, constantly firing at anything that moved.

She stepped away from Chōji, moving toward the window at the back corner of the archive room. The sun had disappeared over the horizon and there was only a scant amount of light left. Soon, they would need to go their separate ways. Soon, she'd need to go back to performing.

"The Chūnin Exams. That's where things start to go off-the-rails."

"That looked like a drag." Shikamaru groaned.

"What about the blank spots?" Chōji questioned.

Miho sighed. "I forgot, or she did. Or she didn't watch or read all of it. Like when you only remember bits and pieces of a book."

"You only remembered the highlights."

"Or her favorite characters." Ino smiled, but it was fond. Then, her smile faded. It faded until it was cold. "She saved those memories, the ones you saw. She can't remember much of her own past life because of it." Ino supplied, sounding guilty. She shouldn't sound like that. Miho knew she would've lost so much more if it wasn't for Ino's help. "What I showed you was all she can remember."

"I don't want to remember any of it— the past life." Miho sighed. "It hurts."

That statement hung above their heads for a long moment.

"The Chūnin Exams. I'll think of something."

That was the equivalent of having Shikamaru's 100% buy-in and support. Miho turned to look at him, lifting her chin just a bit at the challenging expression his face. She knew he'd hidden most of his reaction to the onslaught, but his kneejerk response had been telling. Shikamaru was like a deep river. Still waters run deep and all that.

And Shikamaru was dependable. She knew that.

Maybe this time around, he wouldn't try to sleep through the invasion.

"I know you will."

Shikamaru nodded.

"There're a lot of major players." Chōji finally grabbed the chip bag from the table, popping one into his mouth. He sighed around it, savoring the salt and onion flavor. She could practically taste it and her mouth watered. She was way behind on her calories for the day. She'd have to do a carb and protein sprint that evening to make up for it. She had 15,000 calories to make up for. "The four of us aren't enough."

"Not everyone can know. That'd be too dangerous." Ino responded. Her tone wasn't unkind, but it was short-tempered. "You think we haven't thought of that? Hell, we spent almost a month thinking about telling the Hokage. You can see why we didn't."

"Aside from the fact that you know way too many S-class secrets?"

"We know way too many S-class secrets and, yeah, Shikamaru, aside from that."

"We couldn't think of a valid way to explain it that wouldn't end with both of us in a cell or tortured by T&I, nevermind that Ino's dad runs that place."

Ino grimaced, looking away.

She hated keeping this from her father.

Miho understood.

Miho understood that well.

"What a drag." His expression shifted thoughtful. Miho had always been fascinated with how his mind worked. She expected he already had four or five strategies in the works. Even if he hadn't fully processed everything he now knew. "Telling the Third wouldn't go well. Telling the Fifth…"

"Let's table that for now." Miho nodded. She was finally feeling as if she had her feet under her. She had herself under control. The surprise at the sheer volume of information Ino dumped into them was still overwhelming, but she'd parce through that later. "We've got some time. Not much, but some. We can figure out the best course once you both have time to…think."

Chōji looked up again, talking around his mouth full of chips. "You are my sister, Miho." The statement caught her off-guard. His eyes were sharp still. He'd been thinking everything through, reaching his own conclusions. "Ino showed us everything."

Miho's breath caught and she glanced to Ino, trying to find some solace with her. Her best friend wouldn't meet her eyes for a long moment, but when she did, Miho felt the world tilt. It seemed today just wasn't going to give her any respite whatsoever. All of the secrets would come out. Apparently, Ino thought this was another band-aid that needed to be ripped off.

She tried not to feel hurt by it.

"You should've asked me." Miho said.

Ino was ruthless when she felt she needed to be. Even if she looked tense and a little remorseful, she didn't break eye contact. "You would've said no. Like you always do."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Miho shifted her feet so that they were squarely beneath her shoulders. A deep breath, like she was centering for a bō spar. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Find the center of gravity.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the center of gravity staring back at her.

"Yeah, Chōji, I'm your sister."

"How long have you known?"

"Since I turned eight."

"Summary," Ino inserted. Everyone's eyes went to her. "A war is coming by the time we're sixteen or seventeen. It's massive and world-ending. The moon is somehow involved. We need to protect Naruto and somehow protect ourselves too. There's about twenty different S-class secrets you now know. And we're walking among dead people until we see this through."

Ino dusted off her pants and stood.

"And Miho's adopted. Now, we need to get a move on. We've got a lot of preparing to do if we're gonna survive this. And if we're gonna help our friends and family make it out the other side."

Chōji rose to his feet as if he was called to do so. Shikamaru, somehow, didn't comment on what a drag all of this was. Instead, he nodded and then his brows pulled together in question.

"What was that song we heard?"

* * *

Koji was already three eggs into the meal when Tetsuya arrived to their spread-out picnic blanket. Miho gestured toward the edge, handing him a protein-enhanced omelet and a small canteen. They were at the edge of Training Ground Five, camped until a large pecan tree. Miho'd finished her morning routine at five, returning home to shower and dress before arriving at the training field thirty minutes prior to the scheduled time.

Lee had not returned from his mission, but she ran their usual circuits anyway. Sticking to the advice of the hospital, Miho kept her arm weights off and didn't do her usual upper body sets. Instead, she focused on lower body and endurance.

"You didn't eat, did you?"

Tetsuya had the good sense to look chastised.

"Trust me, Stringbean. My family may not look like it, but we're the leading nutritionists in the Shinobi Nations. We know what we're talking about. I packed your omelet with protein-enhancing herbs and additions."

"Thanks, Chubs." Tetsuya nodded, scarfing the whole thing down in minutes. When he finished, he sat back and rubbed his stomach appreciatively. "You always cook that good?"

"Kinda hard to be an Akimichi and not know how to cook. We start learning when we're little."

"My Da started teaching me woodworking when I was three." Koji said, tone a bit wistful. "I…was thinking last night." He shifted, moving to his knees at his corner of the picnic blanket. "You use a bō, right? I can hewn one for you, if you want." Miho's mouth opened, but Koji wasn't done yet. She sensed a shift in the set of his shoulders. "Tetsuya, with your close combat style, I could make you some wooden tonfa."

She smiled around the four strips of bacon in her mouth as Tetsuya's eyes widened comically before he threw himself across the blanket and into Koji's arms. Poor Koji was caught completely off-guard and toppled sideways, batting his attacker away.

"Aw, c'mon! It's just big ol' Koji makin' his teammates some sick ass weapons. Ain't nothing that remarkable about it!"

This accent was new. It sounded like a mountain dialect. She'd never heard him use it before in all her years sitting next to him in class. Strange. Miho filed that away in her mind and reached over to ruffle Tetsuya's hair with her good hand. He stilled and looked her way from under the fringe of his brown hair.

"You two are cute." She nodded at Koji. "I would love to have a bō created by my teammate."

"What if we don't pass?" Tetsuya questioned. At Koji's raised eyebrow, he scuttled backward and raised his hands. "I mean, I am sure we're gonna rock it and do awesome and all, but you know, what if— he doesn't let us go forward?"

Miho stared at him, completely unused to seeing this kind of honesty and genuine concern from Tetsuya. Trying to reconcile this with the bully she knew when she was younger was an odd adjustment, but not an unwelcome one. She rolled her shoulders. "Well, I'd say we'll figure out another way to work together."

"Chyeah, the Book Club can't be broken up like that." Koji snapped his fingers. "We'll just have to figure out another way."

Tetsuya nodded and grinned, raising a fist. "Then I'll take those tonfa, Koji-my-man. We'll be the most badass team with wood weapons out there."

"So, what's my present then?"

Miho jumped, yanking a kunai out of her pouch. She felt the boys behind her, knowing they had also moved into defensive stances. Standing over her was Shiranui Genma with a placid expression and his ever-present senbon rolling to the corner of his lips.

"No present for your teacher? Gotta say, I'm disappointed. Maybe I won't pass you after all."

Body going slack, Miho put the kunai away and settled back onto her butt, watching her teammates do the same. Tetsuya was clutching his chest like he was clutching pearls, eyes now suspicious and alert. Koji still hadn't put away his kunai, but it sat in his clenched hand on his thigh.

"What do you mean 'after all'?" Miho wondered, pulling herself up to stand. "What about the test?"

"Eh, you already passed. Only idiots wouldn't eat breakfast before a mission. Check. You figured out to come here. Check. You're already talkin' about stayin' together even if you're not a team. Check. You cover each other's backs and you're already bein' all cute with your matching outfits. Just what the hell am I supposed to do?" His eyes widened and Miho thought for sure that he hadn't meant to say that out loud. He cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders, easing both hands into his pockets. "So, Team Five, you can call me Genma-sensei."

"Hell yes!" Tetsuya cried. Miho didn't expect for him to collide into her side, dragging Koji with him. "Team Five, ride or die! Book Club, let's get it!" It was their first group hug and she smiled so wide her eyes shut.

"Book Club, let's get it!"

Miho really thought no less of Genma-sensei when he put a palm to his forehead, even if she joined in the cheer.

"Alright then, nerds. Sparring. I need to get a read on your skills. Koji, you're with me first. I want you to come at me with intent to kill. Miho and Tetsuya, taijutsu-only over there. No chakra. First blood wins. Don't overextend your shoulder, little lady."

Rolling the still-sore shoulder, Miho nodded. She and Tetsuya walked to the far side of the training field, all the while watching as Koji got into stance.

"Do you want me to fight with a handicap? Keep it even?"

Her kneejerk response was a sneer, thinking that he was trying to insult her, but she snapped her mouth shut when she turned. Tetsuya's face was completely sincere, eyes focused on the bandages.

"No, I won't have that kindness on the battlefield."

He nodded, jaw tensing. "First one to draw blood buys takoyaki?"

That was the reverse of how it should be. The first one to bleed should buy, by normal standards, but he didn't waver or correct himself.

Miho grinned and lowered herself into the Akimichi taijutsu style, squaring her shoulders, lowering her top half and her center of gravity. She'd always thought that Lee's style was prettier, with graceful leg sweeps and follow-throughs. Lee's fighting style was like dancing. By comparison, hers was rough. It was all about taking strikes and funneling that energy into her body fat. It was about takedowns and strength.

"You really know how to motivate me, Stringbean."

"You're not putting me in the dirt again, Chubs."

It seemed they both sensed the "Begin."

Lee always said that the style reflects the person, that you could understand another person at their most base level just by fighting hand-to-hand. She knew that well enough from training with Lee. His heart was good and dedicated and every hit reflected that.

Tetsuya's hits were confident and, somehow, desperate. Miho swung underneath a right hook and dove forward, hooking him around the center before throwing him down onto his back. He was up again in an instant and her ears were ringing. He was also fast. Like a contortionist or a gymnast.

Miho could take hits.

It was the benefit of the Akimichi build. Heavyweights were like tanks. Build to suffer damage from repeated hits before firing off a devastating finishing blow. Miho didn't dodge as much as Tetsuya, accumulating about three punches to her gut within the first few minutes. But three of his hits didn't hurt nearly as much as when her fist landed on his jaw.

Tetsuya flew back, landing in a crouch about ten feet away. "What the hell was that? No chakra."

Miho felt a bit smug. "I didn't use chakra."

Her leg weights were slowing her movements considerably, but she still crossed the gap faster than Tetsuya could get his arms up. Tetsuya leaned back to dodge, still somehow maintaining his balance, whipping around to throw a kick into her back. Miho grimaced but didn't budge, spinning to throw her knee into his stomach. The weights increased the force of her kick.

When he struck the tree, the bark cut his cheek.

Miho jumped over, landing by his side and kneeling. "You okay?"

"Ouch. Damn, Chubs." He sat up, rubbing at his face. There were bits of wood and bark in his hair. Shaking it out, he felt at the scratch and pulled his fingers away to see the blood. "You're buying takoyaki today."

"Tetsuya, you're a natural at evasion and aerials. We need to get you started on weight training. Your hits are fast, but they're not hard. Your speed is your greatest tool and we're gonna develop it." Miho looked up to see Genma-sensei standing over her and her teammate. She glanced behind him to see Genma-sensei still battling Koji, who threw up a wall of earth between him and their teacher. "Your flexibility would be useful if you took up kenjutsu."

"Swords?" Tetsuya sat up a bit more, dark eyes sparkling at the idea. "Really?"

"Not my wheelhouse. We'll see what we can figure out."

The ground shook and Miho glanced back again to see Koji pushing himself up from a crater before collapsing again. She was running in the next second, skidding on the grass to press a hand to his chest.

"Stay still for a second, Hoss."

His bleary eyes looked up at her, brows contorted in confusion. "Is— Is that my nickname?" He chuckled, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Is it my concussion? I don't know that word."

Miho struggled for a second, trying to think of an explanation. The word just came into her mind, like lyrics to a song she didn't know or thoughts that were decidedly not hers. The word felt familiar, endearing. Like she'd heard loved ones say it before, in a language that was not her own. Swallowing down the panic, Miho nodded and forced a grin.

"It's another word for 'horse'! Like you're strong!"

"Hoss, huh? Okay…It's original. Better thank 'Stringbean.'"

"Ohm, screw you, Woodchuck."

Genma-sensei sighed, kneeling down to look over Koji. Surprisingly, whereas he was standoffish before, Koji didn't draw away from their teacher. "What is with you three and nicknames?"

"You want the logical explanation or the fun one?" Tetsuya questioned, plopping down onto the grass nearby.

Their teacher rolled his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question."

"'We're cute.' is the fun answer." Koji supplied. "Do you want a nickname, sensei?"

"No. Nicknames end up in bingo books. Can't imagine how intimidating it would be to see 'Utatane 'Stringbean' Tetsuya comin' at me in a battle."

Miho laughed, settling back on her haunches as Koji sat up. He looked a little worse for wear, dirty, and exhausted, but also excited. Tetsuya was muttering under his breath about how he needed a new nickname, which she studiously ignored.

"You're gonna be one hell of a marksman, Koji. You almost got me that one time. Pretty good." Genma-sensei actually did look a bit impressed, even if his expression barely changed. He shifted the senbon to the other side of his mouth and frowned. "You gotta work on your ninjutsu and your close-range stuff. We're starting a new style tomorrow. The Academy style is useless for you. You've got too much mass for it."

"You callin' me fat?" Koji joked.

"He really can't do that with me on the team." Miho grinned.

This brought Genma-sensei's attention to her and she sat a bit straighter, more like the well-brought-up young mistress of a noble clan rather than the kunoichi that was dead-beat tired.

"Which brings me to you. You're way faster than people anticipate. You can use that to your advantage. You're a long-term fighter, can take hits for days and keep getting up. And you know it. That kind of confidence makes you overextend and messes up your balance." He jerked his head toward the training field. "You're up next, Miho. Boys, taijutsu."

Tetsuya groaned, rolling himself up to his feet. He held out a hand for Koji.

She stopped, watching as Genma-sensei moved to a spot about thirty feet away. His hands remained in his pockets. "Remember: intent to kill. You're not at the level to hurt me. You're showcasing your skills."

Miho nodded, pulling her fisted hands back and squaring her feet beneath her shoulders. She felt her chakra spin and whirl, like the wind when she died. At that moment though, the image of swirling clouds didn't bring her fear. It gave her strength. Chōji was way better at this than she was, pulling the energy from her fat and into her muscles. He was so good at it that he'd even landed a few blows on their father. She'd never managed that, despite her speed and agility.

Still, she had other tricks up her sleeves.

"Go." Miho threw herself forward, flipping a kunai into her palm as she moved. The blade was a hair away when Genma-sensei disappeared, reappearing behind her with a solid downward kick into her back. Miho rolled, spinning into one of her family's Justus.

She felt her skin stretch and contort as she inflated. The chakra pulled at her bones and skin until she was speeding toward her teacher. The Leaf-Style Taijutsu: Human Bullet Tank deflected his senbon attack, the rotation deflecting the needles as she slammed into him. As he flew back, landing a few meters away with his eyes narrowed, Miho stopped and collapsed her body back down to its normal size. She was on one knee, waiting for him to make the first move.

"You're not using the true Multi-Size Technique?" He asked as he appeared at her size, throwing a kunai at her chest.

Miho dodged. Thankfully, her speed paid off and the kunai struck the ground. "Not in my wheelhouse, sensei!"

Slapping a hand to her right forearm armor, she channeled her chakra into the seal. The top of her bō appeared and she dragged her arm back, holding it in place while her left hand pulled the staff from the white light emitted from the storage seal.

"Fancy. My compliments to Akimichi Torifu. Don't drop it this time."

Swinging it around, she affirmed her grip and nodded. "I'm already working on it, Genma-sensei."

"Yeah? Keep workin' on it." He switched to ninjutsu— a flurry of fire attacks and wind attacks, making Miho keep in constant motion. He was actively trying to make her lose her grip with all the spinning and deflecting. One of the jutsu caught her sleeve, scalding the skin underneath. Miho hissed and swung the bō while her balance was off, causing her to over-correct. "That's what I'm talking about. Right there. Get your balance under control or someone's gonna bury you."

She held her breath, spinning the bō fast enough to block a hail of kunai.

Then, the bō was gone and she slid left, hearing the clatter of the wood against the ground.

Growling in irritation, Miho forced her right arm forward, slamming into his chest. She put as much force as she could into it. There was a snap under her palm and anxiety jolted through her.

Wind. The wind was too loud.

That momentary loss of focus was enough. An elbow came down on her head.

Miho was face-down in the dirt in the next instant, the blade of a kunai pressed to the nape of her neck.

He fell back and sat down, adjusting the senbon in his mouth as she rolled over. She wasn't winded, but the pain ebbing at the top of her head was making her hold her breath. Once she recovered enough, Miho pushed herself up and looked to him for his analysis. His eyes had trailed over to Tetsuya and Koji, who were sitting under the pecan tree again, watching.

"Focus. You gotta stay focused. And fix your damn grip. I'll make a personal visit to Lord Torifu if I have to." Miho dipped her head, staring at her palms. They were sweaty, practically soaked. Biting her lip, she nodded. "You need a bigger ninjutsu repertoire if you can't do many clan techniques. We'll work on that. You're set to be a long-fight taijutsu powerhouse, but you can't rely on that— Not with your chakra stores. Yo, Koji!"

"Yeah, Boss Man?"

"Don't give me a nickname, damn it." This was said under his breath, but Miho could tell he was already resigned to his fate. It was only a matter of time. Grinning, she looked over to the guys and waved. They waved back. "Get chakra-conductive wood for your presents. Tetsuya, you're up!"

Miho pushed herself up, leaning her hands on hers knees for a long moment before standing upright. Her whole body hurt, even more than when she and Lee did their spars.

"And don't think I didn't notice those dang weights. Who's monitoring those?"

Sheepish, Miho scratched at her cheek. "I— Um, Gai-sensei."

Genma-sensei cringed dramatically, waving her off. "Tell him I said to double the goal. You're capable of more."

Not sure what he meant, Miho nodded anyway. Her muscles were already aching. She moved toward where Koji sat, tapping Tetsuya's high-five as they exchanged places.

"I gotta buy him dango."

"This is the literal opposite of how bets usually work." Miho called, walking backward.

Tetsuya threw his hands up. "There's just no pleasing you, Chubs!"

Koji welcomed her to the blanket, sighing as he patted at the cut on his arm. "I think he fundamentally doesn't understand gambling." Once Genma-sensei and Tetsuya got started, Koji turned to her and smiled. "Let's take a break for a moment. Here." He handed her a snack from his pack, a high-calorie one, and a water bottle.

Miho grinned, settling onto the blanket.

* * *

Chōji flinched when he saw her.

She saw it. He knew she did. His sister was observant like that. She knew him better than anyone. Better than Shikamaru. So, when he saw the slightest downturn in the corners of her mouth, he felt shame well up like indigestion. It bubbled and gurgled and writhed. And Chōji felt terrible.

He tracked her movement— a little unsteady, definitely tired. Worry overtook the shame. She was an endurance specialist. Why was she so tired? Practically nothing tired her out anymore, especially if she was eating right.

Did she eat right? Did she forget snacks?

Normally, Chōji made sure to pack up her snacks before she left for her early-morning sessions. That morning, he didn't. He avoided her, staying in bed later so he didn't have to see the dark circles under her eyes. Chōji had never felt to terrible in his life.

Miho approached, eyes downcast. She wasn't looking at him. She didn't want to look at him, he knew. His sister would normally run up to his side, embrace him, draw him into the house for snacks and stories.

Ino threatened him to within an inch of his "miserable existence" if he made Miho sad. At the time, he'd silently balked and chewed his chips with extra vigor. Because how dare Ino think he would treat Miho any differently. Chōji sighed, shaking his head. Ino knew better than anyone.

Ino knew his sister better than anyone.

Chōji didn't think he had a right to say that fact hurt.

"Miho."

She stopped a few feet away, obviously intent on walking right past him. Toward the training fields. With the way her feet dragged and the bruises he could see under her arm guards, Chōji silently prayed she wasn't going to do more training.

"Elder Torifu left for the Capital today."

Her eyes lifted and met his. They were sharp— almost challenging. The glint in them was enough to unsettle him a bit.

She resented him. For what he did that morning. Chōji felt sick.

"C-Can we talk?"

He could see that she wanted to say 'no.' The slightest shift in her weight told him that she desperately wantedto stop her foot and say 'absolutely not.' Miho stopped herself, shifted her weight again, and nodded.

Miho was endlessly supportive and patient with him. He knew that. She'd always been encouraging him, building him up, and protecting him. Like that time she punched that mean bully at the Academy that called him 'useless.' At that time, Chōji thought she was a hero. She protected him and then she protected Naruto. She protected Naruto and him like they were precious.

Chōji followed her to the archives, watching her back as they moved.

Her shoulders were broader than his and she was taller than him. Bigger than him. Chōji bit his lip and felt tear prick at his eyes. But she was his little sister. He was supposed to protect her.

He was supposed to shield her from the world, keep her safe. He was supposed to be the one that fought off the bullies. He was supposed to be the one that supported her with everything. He was supposed to be there for her.

Her shoulders were so strong, but there was so much weight on them.

It was a wonder she could shoulder it all.

When they stepped into the back study room, Miho pressed her palm against the privacy seal and pushed her chakra into it. Then she moved to the chair farthest from the door, on the other side of the table. Putting actual, physical distance between her and the rest of the world. And him.

Chōji— for the first time in his life— felt a wave of nausea.

She sat down, hiding behind a plastic smile. "How did your team test go?"

His hands fisted, the bag of chips crinkling.

How was he supposed to protect her?

How was he supposed to protect their family? Shikamaru? Ino? Asuma?

The village?

He watched as her eyes softened. "Chōji, it's okay."

"It's not okay." He sat the chips down on the table. "It's not okay, Miho."

She shifted. He could see the guilt. He could see regret. Like she regretted showing him. His hands gripped the edge of the table. The wood age-old cracked under his palms. Miho glanced up to him before squeezing her eyes shut and lowering her head again. Chōji bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he could taste the metallic brine.

"Miho, I don't know where to start. Shikamaru doesn't know where to start."

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have –"

"No!" Chōji cut her off, leaning over the edge of the table. "No! That's not what I'm saying. I should know. I want to know. I need to know so I can help, so I can change things."

She knew his nervous habits and her eyes ticked to his right fingers, which twitched toward the chip back on the table. He knew her tells too. She swallowed and rolled her shoulders. She picked up the habit from Elder Torifu. He always thought it was adorable, a mannerism older than her age. But now? It made him want to cry.

It really, really made him want to cry.

"Knowing doesn't mean we can change it."

The Uchiha.

Naruto.

"No, but we have a chance." Chōji argued back.

If she lost hope…If she didn't believe that things could be different, then why did she show him? Why did she show Shikamaru? Why did she show Ino all those years ago? Why did she treat Naruto like family? Why?

"It means we can make a difference. We didn't have this there. Then. In those pictures. In that story. We didn't have you. You weren't my sister there."

She flinched.

He stared at her, grip growing tighter on the ledge of the table.

Sawdust in his palms.

"You're. my. sister."

Miho nodded, tears in her eyes. She was struggling to hold everything together, hands clenching and unclenching. He hated to see her cry. He hated it more than anything. Even when Shikamaru passed judgement on people or when Ino dug her heels in for an argument. Or when someone stole the last piece of meat at a barbecue.

His father, when they were much younger, told the story of the butterfly.

"A young man who grew great crops married a girl who was an excellent gardener. They lived for each other and their plants. Their herbs and vegetables. They had a son. That son inherited his parents' love of plants and herbs and vegetables. His father had said, hands propped on his knees as they sat in the shade of a poplar. Chōji leaned into Miho's side then, chewing on a new type of protein cookie. "The couple grew old and died together when their son was still young. He tended his parents' crops carefully, believing that those plants contained the spirits of his mother and father."

Miho listened to that story with rapt attention, eyes wide and keen. Chōji never quite understood her fascination with the stories their father told, but he listened nonetheless. He just punctuated the stories with the crunch of cookies or chips whenever the tales dragged on.

"During the first spring after their death, the boy saw two butterflies in the garden. He tended extra carefully to the plants that the butterflies touched. Their legacy protected and flourishing, the butterflies examined each bloom and leaf. The boy knew his parents had become butterflies. In many ways, so too, did the boy become a butterfly as well. We are the descendants of that boy. Do you know what that means?"

Chōji never understood it.

Miho drew a hand over her cheek, painting the tears over her spiral clan marking.

"You're always going to be my sister, Miho. It doesn't matter what changes." Chōji shifted, releasing the table. He felt the sawdust fall from his fingers and glanced down to see the indentions. He wasn't strong enough to do something like that. "Am I always gonna be your brother?"

She shot to her feet. "Of course— Of course, you are, Chōji!"

He hurried across the space, shoving chairs out of the way. His eyes squeezed shut as his chin rested on her shaking shoulder. He wasn't able to lock his arms around her, but he did cling to her yukata top. She smelled like dirt. She smelled like sweet buns. And he clung to her like she was the only stable thing in that storm that killed her.

"I'll protect you. I-I promise."

Miho nodded, pressing her face into his meaty shoulder. "I'll-I'll protect you too. I will."

* * *

It was midnight or close to it.

Chōji was asleep on her bed, curled up like a meatball under the fluffy comforter. Drool was pooling on her sheets. Their parents had snuck in earlier during the night, taking pictures and cooing over their cuteness. Miho had been awake, cutting them a glare over her brother's mass. Her mother giggled and her father warmly laughed. The sound was comforting and Chōji's breathing was comforting, but she felt the anxiety building.

He left it to her— to decide. When to tell her parents that she knew.

It all paled in comparison to what was coming. She knew that.

Ultimately, it didn't matter that she wasn't the blood daughter of Akimichi Chōza and Akimichi Aiko. It didn't matter that she wasn't Chōji's true blood sister.

Still, her fingers brushed along the intricate seal.

The scroll glistened in the moonlight filtering in from her window. Red parchment, etched with symbols that she didn't recognize from all her years haunting the Akimichi library.

Nearly all Akimichi scrolls held the clan symbol: a bō staff through the wings of a butterfly. Circled by the whole harvest.

Strength and transformation and community.

Instead, there was a single symbol printed on the edge. She wondered at it, pulling a finger over the symbol until the pad of her finger felt raw with the ridges of it. It bent and twisted, cutting an image she didn't recognize. A series of curves, one falling into the next, drew a figure. A jagged line divided the animal— that's what it had to be— in half lengthwise.

She sat staring at it for the longest time, until one of Chōji's snores tore him out of his dreams and he startled awake, throwing himself out of his ball. Half-asleep, he sat up and blinked at her.

Miho sat the scroll on the windowsill, smiling. "Go on back to sleep, Chōji. I'm okay."

"Nigh'mare?"

"Nope. Just awake."

"Kay. Y'sleep too."

She nodded, settling down next to him as he curled back up and went back to his dreams of grand feasts and incredible foods and snacks and delicacies. Turning on her side, she stared up at the windowsill just inches above her bed, the scroll glistening a bit.

Whatever that scroll held and whatever her biological mother had stored within it, Miho couldn't bring herself to open it just yet. Not when her parents didn't know that she knew. Not when she didn't even know the woman's name. It just didn't seem right. So, she closed her eyes and forced herself not to open them again.

When her eyes did open again, as she dragged herself over Chōji to get ready for her training regimen and breakfast, the scroll still sat there.

As she pulled on her clothes and wrapped her elbows and knees, the scroll still sat there.

She paused in the doorway, her bō slung over her shoulder.

Turning, she stared at the scroll and then glanced down to Chōji's smile while he slept.

She shut the door.

* * *

**A/N:** THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS AND FAVORITES AND FOLLOWS! Each notification lights up my day! Please leave me reviews for this most current chapter! Again, thank you again and I hope all of you have a fantastic day!


	9. Part I: Inciting Incident

TW: Canon-typical violence and implication/threat of potential sexual assault. Maybe, kind-of, if you squint.

* * *

Genma, in equal parts, loved and hated his kids.

And they were _his kids_.

They were adorable little nerds that were hellbent on nicknaming every damn person, animal, or thing they came across. They giggled amongst themselves at every opportunity and they coordinated their outfits—with his, now.

That last bit, admittedly, came as a surprise.

Especially since he wore the standard jōnin uniform with very few exceptions.

When Koji turned up in a bandana, Tetsuya in a turtleneck, and Miho with bandages around the right thigh of her black pants, he really had to resist the urge to coo.

Genma had to resist the urge to melt completely when they each smiled up at him and said, "Let's go get that mission, Boss Man."

With the frightening feeling of _they watch everything_, Koji raised a piece of grass to his lips and grinned around it. Miho and Tetsuya grinned, too, obviously pleased as punch that Koji had come around. Team Five was probably his downfall, Genma figured, but at least they were cute.

Too cute.

They were stupidly efficient, too, when they really had no right to be, which was both confusing and annoying. Tetsuya _liked writing reports_, like the absolute weirdo he was. He liked the "official-ness" of it. He liked filling out the boxes. Koji was a caregiver, through and through— the one who could bring them back to center. He was physical, comfortable with breaking barriers to give care. Miho handled their endurance and strength training with a frightening likeness to Gai. She was determined to see everyone get stronger. If that meant staring them down until they ate or completed a task, then she'd do it.

(At one of the jōnin teacher gatherings (held at a very professional seedy pub near the stadium), Maito Gai declared in the Loudest Voice Imaginable that Akimichi Miho was a "shining, glistening example of Youth and Beauty" and that she was "surely a sunflower blooming with good senses.")

They— "Book Club," that is, since the name had stuck— spent off-days at their "Beta Location," which really meant the bookshop on Market Street. It was team-mandated, which meant that they all agreed to meet until they couldn't. He didn't know of a single other team that got together during off time.

And they were supremely annoying to generally anyone they felt side-eyed them.

Every time a jōnin caught him smirking down at them around his senbon, Genma may've glared at the resulting snicker.

Each time one of the other jōnin teachers questioned how much of the truth he was actually giving about his team, he glared.

And every time a bit of his dignity died at their hands— because badass didn't rhyme with doting— he shrugged it off.

In short, they were _his kids_. It didn't really matter if he loved or hated them.

With the 35 D-ranks in the books, it was time for them to stretch their wings a bit.

"Off to the Mission Dispensary?" Koji questioned, folding his arms behind his head.

"You mean the 'Missions Desk'?" Genma rolled his eyes. "You can't give nicknames to things that already have names."

"You already had a name, Genma-sensei." Tetsuya replied helpfully, trying hard not to sound like a smart ass. It didn't work and Genma bopped him on the back of the head. "Ouch. Right."

"We going for a C-rank today?" Miho questioned around a huge bite of some high calorie bread. She held out a small piece for Tetsuya, who took it. "I know you're getting tired of D-ranks, Boss Man."

"Yeah, what was it you said the other day?" Koji questioned. He was learning the art of rhetorical questions and Genma wanted to throw himself— very bravely, like a true jōnin of incredible merit— off the Hokage monument. "You said, 'If we gotta do another D-rank again, I'm throwin' the cat into the river.'"

"That's just mean, sensei, really." Tetsuya smiled innocently around his bread. "That cat didn't do anything to you. We've just had to catch it ten times."

Miho's head shook. Her wild curls seeming even wilder with the force of the shake. "Eleven. Eleven times. Remember the fiasco with Team Eight?" Both boys grimaced.

Genma had to have a very long talk with Kurenai about keeping her Inuzuka away from his Akimichi or "there'd be hell to pay" and all that. Something about hearing that little ingrate's "Fatass can't catch a cat!" over and over again made something in him snap.

And the boys might've had some words with him behind the nearby noodle shop.

If the kid was growling under his breath as he apologized to Miho in a rough approximation of contrition, then she gracefully ignored it. She was patient like that. Told him to watch how quickly the cat came to a still target next time. He was practically spitting-fire mad.

The fact that his teammates didn't try to help him spoke volumes.

"C-rank or bust?" Koji wondered, entering the Academy-adjacent missions building. "Hey, Genma-sensei, we're not the last hold outs for a C-rank, are we?"

"We're tied with Team Ten and Team Seven." Miho answered before he could. Genma would imagine that she would know, given her brother was on Asuma's team and her Best Bud Naruto was on Team Seven. "We're all comin' in for missions today, so…"

They waited in the hallway outside of the "mission room," waiting for the next meeting slot. Normally, D-ranks went through the Mission Dispensary (see: Missions Desk), but with new genin, the Hokage assigned tasks personally. Mostly to build up loyalty and instill understanding of hierarchy between the new teams and leadership. A transition period from the Academy to actual practice.

Genma always thought it was a waste of time.

At a very familiar voice crying about her love for her cat, all three children (and their very badass teacher) cringed. The door opened and the woman stepped out. Very quickly, Genma fell into a formal bow and watched in his peripheral vision as his kids did the same. The woman squealed excitedly.

"Oh, Little Miho! Look, my dear! My dearest Tora has been returned to me. Yes, indeed!" The woman rubbed the cat against her face before reaching down to pinch Miho's right dumpling-like cheek. Genma fought hard not to laugh. "Your Elder Torifu will be visiting us soon. I hope you will come with him, my dear! I am certain you would absolutely love our sweets in the Capital!"

Miho smiled widely, bowing again to the Daimyo's wife. "I would love to, my Lady. Thank you for remembering that I love sweets."

"There's a girl! There's a girl!"

He wondered if Miho knew the kind of political connection she was fostering. She never struck him as the politicking type, but he'd been wrong before. Chōza was a political powerhouse and the Akimichi were one of the most powerful clans in the village when it came to connections and services-owed. Miho looked up at him and smiled.

"Have a pleasant day, my Lady!"

"NO! NO! THANK YOU!"

Miho flinched, watching as the woman walked away. Genma watched as her attention flitted back to the door in front of them. Her muscles tensed, as if waiting for an attack. Genma observed as the two boys exchanged a look.

"That was Naruto's—"

"YOU FOOL! YOU'RE STILL A BOTTOM ROOKIE! AT THE START, EVERYONE NEEDS TO MOVE UP THE LADDER!"

"And that was Iruka-sen—"

"BUT! IT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT BLAH MISSIONS SO FAR!"

Genma put a hand on Miho's shoulder when she took a step forward. He could remember being in the same position when he was her age, grabbing onto Gai's bandana— to keep him from busting into Team Seven's meeting. Miho was taking too much after Gai's student. He'd never mention this to Gai, even if he had to swallow his own tongue.

"Genma-sensei?" He released Miho, who looked down at her shoes, and glanced to Tetsuya. "Do you want us to go on a C-rank? Are we ready?"

"I've reported you as a C-rank capable for a week. It's up to the Hokage."

While Tetsuya nodded, Koji frowned and shuffled himself to stand closer to Miho. Even if he was taller than her, it wasn't by much and he often did this when he was feeling insecure. Miho always seemed to be the sturdy thing that the boys sheltered around. "It means…leaving the village, right?"

"We've left the village before, Koji."

"I know. I _know_. I mean— like further away. Further from the village."

Miho drew her left arm under his shoulders and physically leaned into him. Genma watched the exchange with no little awe, noticing that the kid had to shift his weight to accommodate hers. She was putting near her full weight onto his side and he was bolstering it. No easy feat either.

"Just means we have to watch each other's backs more. That's all."

He recognized the physical diversion, like how those therapists told him to find a way to distract from the panic attacks. She diverted Koji's attention from his anxiety to balancing her weight. It was small, focused, and effective.

Genma tried not to smile. He really did.

His kids were so cute. _Damn_ it.

"Yo."

The sheer amount of _judgement_ and disgust in that single word made Genma want to turn the Copy-Ninja into a Pin Cushion. He was probably fast enough, right? Besides, his assassin training had to be good for something. Hours and hours of killing people was useful for this kind of thing, right? He could take out Kakashi, surely.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "What's with the glare, Shiranui?"

"How many senbon does it take to turn an adult male into a pin cushion?"

"Technically, wouldn't it only take one?"

Genma sighed, deflating a bit. "Nevermind. Mock away."

Kakashi's students trailed along behind him: the disinterested Uchiha, the fangirling Haruno, and the—

"MIHO!"

loud Uzumaki.

He withheld a snort. Just like Kushina. Honestly, it was amazing. Like seeing her bound around Konoha again. Genma leaned back and watched as Naruto collided with Miho, slamming her back into the wall. She just barely maneuvered enough to keep the kid from slamming his head into the wood wall in his excitement.

"WE JUST GOT OUR FIRST C-RANK! IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME!"

Koji was actively trying to detangle himself from the two, looking desperately toward where Tetsuya was grinning. Just out of arm's reach. Tetsuya had a cruel streak a mile wide, and it was showing. Finally, Koji wiggled just enough to get himself free and he immediately flung himself at Tetsuya, who giggled and spun away.

"Koji, if you can get him in a headlock in the next fifteen seconds, I'll buy you grilled fish from that place on Market Street."

His student literally growled, body-slamming his teammate to the far wall.

Tetsuya didn't stand a chance.

Genma watched, switching the senbon to the right side of his mouth. "Don't break anything."

"What the—" The pink-haired girl started, eyes wide at Koji's brute strength as he manhandled Tetsuya into submission. Bless Tetsuya's hear though. He wasn't making it easy. The kid was freakin' bendy. Natural born kenjustu specialist. He really needed to call in that favor with Hayate. "This is Team Five?" The tone of incredulity was both gratifying and grating.

Genma might've been projecting, but it looked like the Uchiha scoffed.

"Welp, as cute as all of this is— bye!"

Kakashi was a damn weakling, bailing like that. Genma shook his head, looking to the students he left behind. They both stared at Naruto's back, obviously confused and thrown off-kilter for a moment. Their wild teammate was more subdued now, speaking to Miho in hushed tones, and another team was— at the very least— high-functioning.

After a long brooding stare at the Uzumaki's back, the Uchiha turned to leave. The pink-haired girl trailed after him, peppering him with questions that he obviously ignored.

"Naruto, you have a mission. Go get packed."

"I will, I will!" The kid stepped away from Miho, grinning from ear to ear. "Can you believe it? I get to go _outside of the village_! This is awesome."

Miho was comparatively more sober. As usual. "I'm proud of you. I am. And I'm sure you'll do great."

She seemed a bit hesitant and Genma listened in, even if his eyes were focused on Koji and Tetsuya's playful scuffling. Now that Koji won, they were just ribbing each other.

"Just…_please_ be careful. Remember that not everything is as it seems. Keep your eyes open. And, it hasn't rained in weeks, so make sure to take extra water with you, okay? And extra snacks? And—"

"Hey, hey." Now Naruto seemed more collected as well. A complete 180 from his previous exuberance. "I'll be okay, ya know? Believe it." He rested a hand on her shoulder, but she flew forward and grabbed him around the shoulders. Genma shifted his senbon again. "What's got you so worked up, huh?"

"N-Nothing. Just, promise me, that you'll...know you got people here waiting for you, okay? People that love you." He saw the Uzumaki jerk in her arms before throwing his own around her as far as they would go.

Genma could smell the tears.

"Alright, alright. Let's get in there. We can't keep the Hokage and Iruka-sensei waiting. Koji, you won that round. I owe you grilled fish. Miho, tell Naruto that you'll see 'em later." He ushered the two boys ahead, giving the two time to separate. "Have a safe mission, Naruto."

If Naruto squeezed her a little tighter, well, Genma wasn't going to say anything about it.

Miho let him go and gave him an encouraging push. Then, as if sensing that she was now the one needing a distraction, Koji swept back to her and threw an arm over her shoulders.

"C'mon, Miho. He'll be fine."

As Tetsuya sidled up to Miho's other side, Genma smiled a bit more around his senbon and followed his students to stand before the Hokage. They bowed formally, as they were meant to do. He'd taught them all the courtesies, even if most of them for performative.

The old man looked smug, sharp eyes flitting over Koji's bandana, Miho's thigh bandages, and Tetsuya's turtleneck.

"Well, well. Team Five, it seems you are doing quite well in managing your teamwork. Your teacher has had nothing but positive things to report."

Genma knew when he was being thrown to the wolves for an old ninja's amusement, so he tried to maintain an unaffected air. His shoulders arched forward just a bit and he rolled the senbon. "Eh, sir, they're like a well-oiled machine. What can I say?"

His kids were preening. Bunch of ridiculous nerds would never let this go.

"A well-oiled machine that you reported was ready to take on C-rank missions."

"You what?" Iruka questioned with an abrupt sort of skepticism. His team wasn't outright giving their former teacher a side-eye, but it was bordering close. To them, it sounded insulting. And they weren't the type to go screaming about how offended they were. "They've got to work their way up to C-ranks."

"They have."

"Seeing as how Team Seven is departing on their first C-rank as well, I see no reason why you should not embark on your own."

All three of his students flinched, standing straighter.

"You have the same mission departure time as Team Seven, but you will veer southwest toward the mountains at the border with the Land of Rivers. There are rumors of a bandit hideout there. Find the hideout and report its location back to Konoha. This is a reconnaissance mission. No engagement."

"Our client?" Genma caught the scroll that was tossed to him. The mission parameters were normal for a C-rank. The Hokage was obviously testing his team's ability in an off-skill mission. This was more of a mission for Team Eight. Genma vaguely wondered if Team Ten would get a C-rank emphasizing direct battle instead.

"Rockfall, a mining village. You will meet them when you arrive there tomorrow midday. Speak with the village leader, Seki."

Genma nodded, leading the kids into a bow. They followed suit as he expected them to and he began to lead them away. Now, it was time to put their mission preparedness to the test. Five-minute mission prep drill.

No one could ever say that he was a soft teacher.

After all, he was a badass jōnin.

"Team Five?"

He stopped, watching as his kids turned around to look at the Hokage. They each looked to him first, as if in question of what the Hokage might want from them. Looking him to the direct-in-command. He could hear the smile in the man's voice.

This was exactly what the Hokage wanted when he forced Genma from the ANBU ranks.

Damn him, the old man was right.

"Safe journey."

* * *

Miho grabbed one of the mission-ready sealed scrolls from the kitchen bookshelf, which was stacked to the brim with different scrolls sealed with various mission durations and diets. Snack Scrolls. Her father's were at the top. Her brother's at the center. Hers at the bottom. The Akimichi symbol was etched into each one.

Hurrying past the kitchen, she bounded up the stairs and grabbed her backpack from the closet. She tossed her Snack Scrolls in, ten deep. Some extra senbon and kunai, a medical kit. Extra clothes and her bed roll. Her metal bō was sealed into her forearm armor. Collectively, she was wearing the weight of Tetsuya.

That weight was nothing.

Nothing compared to the weights that currently sat on her calves and forearms.

As she pulled Chōji's scarf around her neck, she stopped, glancing at the scroll on the windowsill. Part of her wondered if it would have anything useful for this mission.

_Not today._

_ No, not today!_

Chōji would be out on missions with his team. Her father was working on a new trade deal in one of the nearby towns. Her mother was at a friend's house, painting a nursery mural.

Miho scribbled down a note, setting it on the kitchen table once she'd finished her final prep. As an afterthought, she wrote out a quick note to Ino and handed it off to the guard at the front of the compound as she headed for the gate.

As usual, she was early. She leaned against the gate and scuffed the heel of her sandal against the dirt. Naruto's team was due to arrive any minute, she reckoned. Anxiety ate at her, making her hands shake as she shoveled handfuls of chips into her mouth.

Uchiha Sasuke arrived only a few minutes after her, moving to lean against the gate opposite her. He kept his attention anywhere but her and Miho mirrored that, studiously focusing on the sway of the treetops nearby. While she didn't feel uncomfortable in his presence, she could sense the silent judgement.

And that was grating.

Especially knowing what was coming for him during this mission.

What Naruto would go through_ for him_ on this mission.

Swallowing down the rest of the chips, Miho unwrapped a high-protein cookie. Special-made with her caloric intake in mind, her cookies were a pre-mission ritual. She needed to eat three before hitting the road.

"Akimichi."

Her head jerked down to stare at the Uchiha. He stared back at her, eyes narrowing. "Can you chew quieter?"

"Sorry. Didn't realize I was smacking." Miho smiled around the cookie a bit, silently praying for her teammates or Naruto to show up. Sasuke was awkward and standoffish in a way that was different from Shikamaru. Shikamaru was awkward and standoffish because he projected it to get people to leave him alone. Sasuke was awkward and standoffish because he oozed irritation. "I gotta eat three of these before we set out."

His eyes widened just a bit before he nodded and looked away. "Whatever."

Miho took that as some kind of permission, though she really didn't need it. She did try to chew with a bit more decorum, like she was out at a restaurant instead of prepping for a mission. After a minute, she shifted and pulled another from her back, eyeing it for a second before calling out to the Uchiha.

He grabbed the cookie from the air, eyeing it and her with equal parts suspicion and befuddlement.

Like he couldn't believe she'd just thrown a cookie at him.

"It's protein-enhanced. Good for long-haul missions. You can throw it back if you don't want it."

"Yo, Chubs!"

Grinning, Miho turned to see Tetsuya and Koji approaching. The latter was eyeing the Uchiha and his still dumbstruck expression. Meanwhile, Tetsuya leapt forward to link his arm with hers. The movements were all so natural now that Miho handed them cookies without thinking. Koji just pocked his, throwing the Uchiha a smirk.

"She gave you one too, huh? She don't share these lightly. Must've thought you looked hungry or somethin'."

"Actually, come to think of it…" Miho took out two more and chucked them at the Uchiha. He didn't quite scramble to catch them, but it was close enough. Scrambling would've been 'beneath him' or something. He eyed the two additional cookies with something akin to critical distain. "One's for Sakura. The other's for Naruto."

Tetsuya sidled himself slightly in front of her, grabbing her attention. "Did you remember—"

"Why would you give one of these to the idiot?"

Miho felt the world still and quieten. Despite her best efforts to reel in her kneejerk response, she was already moving before Tetsuya could grab ahold of her. Sasuke fell into a defensive stance, but Miho never made any move to strike. She looked down at him, down her nose from her greater height. She stood a head taller than him. Still.

He was still so small. He was obviously not eating right.

_He has no one to cook for him._

He was sneering, in a way that she remembered from the Images. In a way that spoke to his own insecurities. Smart as he was, he was stunted. She could see it there— he truly _didn't_ understand why she would give Naruto a cookie. He didn't get it.

Pulling in a deep breath, Miho let her shoulders rise and fall. The fight in her deflated and dissipated.

"If I'm not overly fond of you and gave you a cookie, then I'm certainly gonna give a cookie to one of my best friends." She sniffed and looked away, all too aware of her teammates' eyes on her. "Everyone deserves good food."

Something collided with her side and then was suddenly perched on her back, rough voice yelling out in delight. "Hell yeah, Miho! Totally showed up that bas— jerk! You gave him _my_ cookie? Can I have another? Can I?"

"Naruto, you shouldn't eat cookies before a mission."

Miho turned to see Haruno Sakura arriving to the gate, a very put-upon expression pinched on her face. Honestly, Miho'd never had a problem with her. She pretty much kept to herself or fell in line with Ino, who'd avoided a Sasuke-based skirmish in this reality.

"You totally should!" Naruto responded, still perched on her back. Miho sighed, sagging a bit. "Akimichi-Lady, Momma Akimichi Whatever, said that you gotta store up food so that you have energy on missions. Right?" He swung around to Miho's right and tried to look into her face.

Snorting a laugh, she nodded and he leapt off, grabbing the two cookies from Sasuke's hand. He danced about and threw them into his mouth, eating as obnoxiously as possible to prove some kind of point.

Feeling a little helpless, Miho withdrew another cookie— the last of her pre-mission prep— and held it out to Sakura.

"Naruto ate your cookie. It's actually really healthy. Made with flax seeds and oats and a protein concentrate from my clan. My cousin eats these to bulk up, but they're packed with antioxidants too. Here."

"I— I— I can't I'm watching my figure."

Behind Miho, Tetsuya scoffed. She felt him come up behind her on the left, threading his arm through hers again. She knew him well enough to recognize the impatience in his stance.

"You gotta eat or you're gonna faint mid-battle. Hell, anybody'll faint mid-battle without the right diet."

Miho didn't miss the way Sakura's eyes trailed over the rolls and the stretch marks in her upper arms. Though she didn't grimace, a flicker of fear passed behind her green eyes. Miho shifted. Before she could open her mouth to explain, she felt Koji come to her other side.

"Take the cookie, Haruno."

"Matching outfits? Genma really has brainwashed you guys, hasn't he?"

Miho looked up to see Kakashi approaching with their client, who reeked of alcohol so prominently that she started to breath through her nose. She felt the cookie being taken and turned to see Sasuke removing it from her hand. As if that wasn't strange enough, he nodded in thanks before looking away again.

"They're just a bunch of unoriginal goons."

Genma-sensei appeared beside Koji, shifting the senbon from the right to left corner of his lips. He seemed to take in the scene before nodding. "Pre-missions snacks complete?" Miho nodded. "You remember your medical kit, Tetsuya?" Tetsuya stepped back and nodded. Miho vaguely wondered if Team Seven did such checklists. They were all watching in barely-concealed awe. "Koji, you good?"

"Mission ready, Boss Man."

Their teacher rolled his eyes. "Alright then, Book Club. Move out."

"Naruto, good luck. I believe in you, okay? Be safe." Miho glanced to Sasuke and then Sakura. Even threw a cautionary glance at Kakashi-sensei. "Good luck, Team Seven. Be careful."

She glanced to Genma-sensei and, seeing the smile in his eyes (but definitely not his face because he was Cool), followed him and the boys out of Konoha's main gate.

* * *

"They'll be somewhere with access to water." Genma-sensei commented, staring at a map of the area. His arms were crossed as he glanced to the village leader, Seki. The middle-aged leader was obviously exhausted, shoulders slumping forward and bags cutting unforgiving lines from his eyes. "Any bandit leader worth his salt'll have at least forty-five under his command. That needs a steady water supply."

"Probably closer to sixty," Seki responded with a sigh. Genma-sensei raised his brows at the large number. "They grab merchants as they pass through the mountains from the Land of Rivers and pillage the border towns after harvest. We kept expecting another band to take them out, but…"

"Another band?"

Seki shuddered. "The Mount Kaou Band has rivals to the south."

Beside her, Koji flinched and she glanced his way, only to find him staring at the map with narrowed eyes.

Her nerves were already making her arms tingle, knowing that Naruto's mission went awry just a few hours earlier. Team Seven's mission to Wave was a success, no matter what happened. She knew that and she needed to let it go.

_"You can't save everyone,"_ Ino told her. _"You can't save that Ice Guy."_

While that was true, Miho still felt for him. And her heart broke for Naruto, for what he would go through on this mission.

Everything would be fine. It would.

But the fear still ate at her.

Now, Koji's strange behavior was making the anxiety build in her chest.

"Their leader is a man named Taiki. He's ruthless. A horrible, horrible man."

"Our mission brief mentioned human trafficking?"

Seki visibly shuddered, moving to sit in a nearby chair. All of the energy seemed to leave him. Miho felt her heart break for the man. He was clearly suffering from all that the bandits were doing to the area. "They take…people. Sometimes. Once someone is taken, they are never seen again. These monsters b-boast." The tears that entered his eyes seemed shattering. "My daughter…months ago. They 'recruit' the boys."

Tetsuya edged closer to her side and Miho glanced at him. He held her eyes for a long moment before jerking his head toward Koji, who was still staring at the map.

While their teacher spoke in hushed tones with the client, Miho turned to her teammate.

"What's wrong?"

"It's weird, ain't it? Mount Kaou's never been this bold."

"This _bold_?" Tetsuya wondered aloud. She could see her confusion echoed on his face, brows knitted together. "Koji-my-man, how d'you know anything about the Mount Kaou bandits? How d'ya know they've 'never been this bold?'"

Koji seemed to chew on this inside of his cheek, glancing toward their teacher's back. Pulling in a breath, he sighed and hunched his shoulders forward. Like he was hiding. "I just…I just know." At Miho and Tetsuya's skeptical expressions, he relented. "I…kinda know a lot about bandits, alright? And Mount Kaou has always been a group of good-for-nothins but they ain't never been this…powerful."

That was a side-step of an answer.

He knew it. She knew it. Tetsuya knew it. Hell, even Genma-sensei knew it, given the look he just sent them over the client's shoulder.

Tetsuya ran a hand through his hair before shaking it back into place. "You know we don't buy that, right?"

"I know." Koji nodded.

Genma-sensei wrapped up his discussion and jerked his thumb toward the door, rolling up the map before ushering them outside. "Koji, we're gonna need to work on your subterfuge skills, buddy." In the twilight, his dark eyes were critical and narrowed. "We need to set out for the base of the mountains tonight. We'll start canvassing tomorrow morning. Let's go. In the meantime, Koji, you can loop us into your local knowledge."

Koji lowered his head, looking ashamed and chastised. "Yes, sir."

"Let's go. We've got some ground to cover."

Miho listened as Koji told the story of two rival bands, whose members had been battling for centuries. One band was the ruthless and cruel outlaws of Mount Kaou. The other was the comparatively less-violent bandits of Spirit Mountain, further down the mountain chain toward the sea to the south The Spirit Mountain band had always been able to keep Mount Kaou in check with larger numbers and greater influence.

"If Mount Kaou has expanded like this, then something must've happened to Spirit Mountain—"

"How d'you know all this anyway?" Tetsuya laid out his bedroll. "And _don't_ say you read it somewhere. Miho uses that all the time and it's always lie."

Miho swallowed her spit wrong and coughed, nearly face-planting in the pine needles on the forest floor. "I do not!"

"You do." Genma-sensei and Koji agreed at the same time. Genma-sensei shot her a look in the dark and then turned to stare down Koji. "Spill it."

It was quiet in the camp, save for the slightest ruffling of fabric. And Miho could hear her heartbeat and the rush of the wind in the mountain passes. They couldn't light a fire to avoid detection. The darkness was only alleviated by the occasional clearing of clouds over the moon.

_ The moon, painted red._

"My father is the second-in-command of the Spirit Mountain bandits."

Now that hadn't been what Miho expected.

In the darkness, she could feel Tetsuya's shock at their teammate's admission. She actually heard his teeth click as he drew his mouth shut. Their teacher, however, was silent. Miho watched his shadow, waiting.

"Got any insight into where Mt. Kaou's hideout is then?"

Koji was quiet for a moment as if frozen by Genma-sensei's acceptance. "He…He always used to say that the Kaou ran with the Black Wind. Meant that they were closer to the Low Pass along the Black River."

"That narrows our area significantly." Their teacher was quiet for a long moment. While he thought, Miho leaned over and stretched out a hand to press against Koji's knee. "Koji— Your loyalty is to Konoha, correct?"

Koji flinched under her hand. "Yes, sensei. I left the band when I was six with my mother. I'm loyal to Konoha and my comrades and my home. I swear it."

Genma-sensei nodded in the darkness. Miho could see it, along with the barely tilt of his lips and the glint of his senbon in the moonlight.

"I knew where you were from, Koji. I'm your teacher. It's in your record. Not to mention, your dialect— when you let your control slip." Miho felt Koji's hand come to her own, gripping over the top of her fingers. She never realized his hands were so rough. A woodworker's hands. "You know this was why we were given this particular mission, right?"

Tetsuya spoke before Koji could. "The Hokage gave us this mission 'cause Koji's related to bandits?"

Genma-sensei snorted. "Because he's_ from this mountain chain_, but— sure, that too."

"Make use of your resources." Miho supplied. "I wondered about the accent, Koji, but would've never asked. It's your business after all."

He squeezed her hand. "After my Ma died, I hid it. Didn't wanna bring myself any trouble, 'specially after that bandit attack on the Capital caravan a few years ago. Wasn't my family, but…" She could feel him shrug. "People weren't very happy with bandits."

"People aren't really ever happy with bandits, Woodchuck."

Koji gripped her hand harder, but Miho knew it was because he agreed. After all, Tetsuya wasn't mad— he was using the nickname, after all. Silence fell over the camp for a while, the whirr of cicadas and the creaks of tree frogs making the chasm of trees seem more insulated. After a while, Tetsuya shifted and she could see his face in the darkness.

He slapped a hand to Koji's back.

"I'm the son of a bad farmer." Genma-sensei offered, voice quiet. It almost seemed like the cicadas hushed for a moment, a lull in their screeching. "Grew up without shoes or running water. None of that. The old man raked up debt until we were drowning in it."

In the darkness, Miho stared in the direction of her teacher's voice, listening. Genma-sensei wasn't talkative. He didn't say anything without meaning or purpose. Most often, he preferred to observe. To watch people. Like how he often watched her and her teammates. It didn't mean that he said nothing. He just spoke when _he had something to say._

When he spoke, people listened.

"My father wasn't a good man. I wanted to be better than him. Took off for Konoha with nothin' but my pack." She could hear the click of his senbon against his teeth.

He didn't finish the story, but the implication was clear. Miho felt Koji's hand release hers and she heard a bit of sniffling.

"I'm a shinobi of Konoha and the son of a shit gambler. You're a shinobi of Konoha, Koji, and you're the son of a bandit."

Tetsuya's voice was subdued. She would almost say it was tinged blue, somehow, but Miho didn't quite know why she thought that. "You choose what it means. Where you're from. Who you're from."

For an Utatane— for Tetsuya, who'd bullied her for years because he felt like he had the _right_ to— to say that, Miho felt the world shift a bit.

Because that sounded a lot like a declaration.

When they all fell asleep, Koji was at the center. Miho rested her head on his shoulder. Tetsuya was on his other side. She could feel Genma-sensei on watch nearby, keeping them safe. And Miho— vaguely, somewhere between sleep and waking— wondered if this was what it meant to be a team. Desperately, she prayed that, among all the chaos and hurt and terror that was coming, she could protect this little slice of goodness.

_She would protect it...with everything she had. No matter what._

* * *

The high altitude was disorienting. Miho'd never had problems with mountain environments. After all, one of her family's training fields was composed entirely of large earthen hills and deep-cut valleys. It wasn't the rocks and jagged edges that bothered her. It was the altitude, the sheer height of the mountains. The high vantage point that Genma-sensei wanted was just below the cloud line. The air was thin and she never felt like she could get enough oxygen.

She wasn't quite sure if it was fear or the lack of breathable air that made her feel dizzy.

She gripped the rocks for dear life, trying not to think about how _high up_ they were perched on the side of the mountain.

"Bird Team, do you read?"

Tetsuya huffed next to her. "Stupid name. We're up high— we're the _bird team_. Boss Man needs to do better with this." He reached up to press his earpiece. "We read. We're in position. Waiting for orders, Boss."

"Maintain position. Keep an eye on the caravan." Below them by about two hundred feet was a road cut into the mountainside. "Do not interfere. Just observe. Clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Miho shifted, using a bit of chakra on her feet to steady her stance on the ledge. Her build just wasn't very maneuverable on such a small slab of etched-out rock. Her stomach extended too far out to be flush against the rockface so her fingertips were more precariously gripping the edge. Sweating despite the cold air, she risked detaching her right hand and reached up to blot her brow.

"I hate this."

"I'm not gonna let you fall, Chubs. You'll be fine. C'mon."

It was easy for him to say. Tetsuya was lithe and 'wiry.' Completely nimble in all of his movements. He was practically dancing up the side of the rockface, swinging from one grip to the next. Not to mention, Miho wasn't 100% confidence that he could lift her bodyweight if the need arose.

That would need to change. She catalogued it for later.

"I get that Genma-sensei did this as a challenge or whatever, but I _hate this_."

A particularly stiff wind swept over the rockface and Miho shifted, trying to draw closer to the rocks.

"It's just a few more feet. You can do it."

Shaking, she looked up to see Tetsuya peering over the ledge from an escarpment about ten feet up. The angle was frightening, shifting outward until there was literally no way to hold on except to let the legs dangle. Particularly for her, she'd have to make most of the journey with just her arm strength.

Narrowing her eyes, she pulled in a deep breath. Heart pounding, she reached up and drew herself upward. One grip after another until her legs were dangling. It had to be at least one hundred feet to the caravan road below. She tried not to think about that as she moved.

Instead, she thought about Haku.

Haku, who didn't deserve his fate.

Haku, who was a good person.

Haku, who would teach Naruto about sacrifice.

There was nothing she could do to save him. Even if she was on Team Seven, she didn't think there'd be a way to prevent his death.

It was an Inciting Incident in a lot of ways, easing the audience into the reality of the world the story would take place. Haku was a sacrifice for that, to showcase reality as the writer defined it.

Miho haul herself over the ledge and rolled to her back, staring up at the dark gray clouds overhead. Her chest heaved and she wondered just how many bag of chips she'd need to eat to make up for that exertion. Six? Seven?

She felt a hand pat her stomach and her eyes opened.

"You're the strongest, Chubs. You did good."

Grinning over the burn in her arms, Miho pushed herself up and knelt at the edge of the escarpment. "Eyes on the west. I'll keep an eye on the other side."

"Just don't know how they'd pull that off."

"They're native to this kind of terrain. I'm sure they have a way."

The caravan arrived about half an hour later. Fourteen wagons emblazoned with the imagery of the River King— the "daimyo" of the Land of Rivers. The blue colors contrasted the brownish-red of the valley walls. They rounded the corner with a careful, steady speed. The local mountain guide, probably hired on the other side of the range, led the way. Miho eyed him every so often, keeping her eyes on the oppose valley wall.

"We have visual." Genma-sensei's voice said in her ear. "Your two o'clock. Near that downed boulder."

Miho felt her nerves spike into her throat, looking toward where her teacher had indicated. She saw nothing, but she did see the guide.

The guide, who was raising his hands in the approximation of a yawn.

She pressed the communicator button in her ear. "The guide is in on this."

"Affirmative." Her teacher responded. "Get ready."

Reaching into her pocket, Miho withdrew a cookie and downed it in three bites, adjusting her gloves on her hands as she waited. The caravan proceeded below. The wagons were beautifully appointed, she thought. Nicely constructed. The River King had spared no expense.

A yell echoed across the valley and all hell broke loose below.

Their momentum was terrifying. A horde of men rushed from behind the boulder, as if a cave were hidden behind it. The first merchant to fall took a stab to the gut. He didn't even have time to yell before he was thrown down into the river. Another merchant fell screaming to the rocks, his blood forming a pool of deep red around his body.

Miho shifted, feeling sick by the carnage.

It was unbridled cruelty.

A garishly-dressed man stepped from behind the boulder after the attack began. He picked his way through the gore, stepping over pools of blood as if it would harm his shining boots. His long hair was whipping about in the mountain wind.

"Sir, this is a massacre." Miho glanced to Tetsuya, who was wide-eyed and whispering urgently into the communicator.

"Interference is not our mission, Tetsuya. Stay in position."

A particularly young scream cut through bedlam. Miho followed the ruckus from above, watching as a couple kids were dragged from one of the covered wagons. Two girls— young ones, much younger than her and her teammates. Miho twitched at how roughly the smallest one was manhandled. The driver of their wagon crashed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Look what we got here, boys! It's the River Princess."

The little girl was jerked around, crying out as a rough knife was pressed to her throat. She couldn't've have been more than five or six.

Miho reached for her kunai pack and withdrew one. The cool metal felt a bit more reassuring than the uncertain glance Tetsuya sent her.

"Mission parameters just changed." Genma-sensei stated in an almost mechanical voice. His mission leader voice. Miho stiffened, awaiting orders. "Miho— you're the fastest. When you see an opening, get the girl. Tetsuya, you cover her. Koji, gather the rest of the caravan and evacuate them to the town. I'll handle these bastards."

Though she was glad to hear the mission shift, Miho tried to reason it.

Mid-mission changes were common, but…She stilled.

The Wave Mission changed like this.

Genma-sensei took out six guys in a matter of seconds. The bandits flew into a frenzy. Orders were being shouted by two or three guys in the midst of the chaos, the leaders. Her attention focused on the girls. Miho looked to Tetsuya and nodded.

"Grab 'em and go. I've got your back."

Miho jumped down into the mess, throwing a kick at the man holding the girl with such force that he slammed into the opposite valley wall. He tumbled out of sight as she landed. "I'm Miho. I'm getting you to safety, okay?" Even though she'd been instructed to grab the princess, she looped her other arm around the other girl as well, wheeling her around to her back. The girl clung on. "Hold on!" Grabbing the princess and holding her to her chest, Miho leapt up and out of the fray.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go, Miho!"

The positive was that the bandits didn't have ninja training. Their speed and strength wasn't honed for battle with shinobi. Gemna-sensei was cutting them down in droves. Fifty to forty— forty to thirty— It was only a matter of time.

Miho settled on a ledge and looked back, seeing Tetsuya slam a bandit away. Koji had collected nearly all of the merchants and was ushering them down the path, throwing concerned looks over his shoulder at Miho and Tetsuya. Tetsuya—

A bandit was approaching his blind spot.

Until the bandit's eyes went wide and he fell forward, a rain of kunai impaling his back. Genma-sensei.

Heart racing, Miho turned and kept running. Tetsuya was on her heels.

"Oh, my dear, my dear. You're a fast one."

Skidding on the side of a cliff, chakra holding her to the stone, Miho tightened her grip on the smaller girl. Feeling the older girl's hold tighten in fear, she dropped down to a nearby ledge to stand upright, allowing gravity to give the girls some support.

The man from before— undone kimono laid over rough pants and a white shirt— looked up from his nails where he sat on a boulder nearby. She felt uneasy, terrified that this man was different from the rest. His entire demeanor was dangerous, sending shivers down her spine. For him to cut her off so easily, he had to be a shinobi, or at least have shinobi training.

Her heart thundered.

Damn it.

Tetsuya landed in front of her, dropping into a defensive crouch.

The man tutted, shaking his head. He crossed on leg over the other, brushing his white hair over his shoulder with a weirdly dramatic flair.

"And a hero arrives."

"Get out of here, Miho."

"Perhaps we should get better acquainted? I'm Taiki."

"Don't really care who you are." Tetsuya retorted, edging backward. Miho matched the movement, adjusting her hold on the princess, who hid her face in Miho's meaty shoulder.

The man— Taiki, the fearsome leader of the Mount Kaou bandits— shrugged. "I suppose there's no accountin' for poor manners. Eh, princess?" The girl whimpered.

She wondered if Tetsuya'd already done the risk assessment. The girls' safety was paramount, and Genma-sensei would make short work of the other bandits. He'd be along shortly as back-up and Koji was too far away for support.

In the meantime, Miho knew she was the stronger fighter. Tetsuya knew it as well.

If they tried to switch the burden, then the man would attack.

_Dammit._

"Girls, listen to me, okay?"

The princess winced, but nodded. She felt the older girl on her back hold tighter, grasping at her yukata sleeves.

"As soon as I set you down, I want you to run over there and hide. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, Miss Kunoichi."

"Tetsuya."

"Got it, Chubs."

The bandit let out a guffaw, throwing his head back in laughter. Miho took the opportunity to set the girls down. They immediately did as they were told, bolting for an outcropping of rocks about thirty feet away. Miho sidled herself in front of them, bending her knees and pulling her elbows in to her taijutsu stance. Taiki stopped laughing, seeming to wipe tears from his bright green eyes.

"Ah, 'Chubs,' then?"

Miho heard Tetsuya growl, drawing the sword from his back. He didn't have enough training to go head-to-head with anyone. "That's not a name you get to use, you freak."

The guy shrugged. "Don't really care for getting permission, punk. I can call her whatever I want. How about— 'dead.'" Miho blocked the blow, swinging her bō around to block his strike. The bandit leader towered over her and swirled away when Tetsuya attempted to shred his back with kunai. "You really think your captain can handle all of my men?"

"Hell yeah he can."

Miho gathered chakra, pushing it into her center. She could feel the energy from her fat rumbling, building, pulling, and pushing as her skin stretched and her bones dislodged. Launching forward, she rolled into the Leaf-Style Taijutsu: Human Bullet Tank, slamming into the leader while he was distracted by Tetsuya's aerials. Pushing chakra into her fat, she doubled in weight for the moment of impact, sending Taiki careening into the base of a nearby cliff.

He hit with such force that the wall cratered around him.

Releasing the jutsu, Miho's bones and fat slid back into place and she spun to a stop, crouched a few feet from where Tetsuya landed.

"Fall back to the girls, Stringbean."

He nodded, moving to cover them.

From the passage to the right—where she expected Genma-sensei was still meting out rewards— three bandits appeared, bloodied and bruised. Their eyes collectively widened as their boss pushed himself upright, blood covering the left side of his face. Miho felt a flush of vicious satisfaction. His pretty boy routine was over.

"That's it. I'm killing you _first_, girlie."

Miho withdrew the metal bō from her arm guard, falling back into stance. "Could you _be_ any creepier?"

"Do you know what we do with girls like you, sweetheart?" One of the bandits asked, hobbling toward his leader. Miho gritted her teeth at the implication, reminded of Seki's daughter. She reaffirmed her grip on the bō and took a calming breath, like how Elder Torifu had taught her. "They don't make it long."

"We don't have time for this. Boss, we gotta go!" One of the other bandits said, rushing forward to hold his leader upright with a hand to his chest. "The rest of the guys are…They're gone! We need to get out—Boss!"

Miho blocked the blow of his two long knives, struggling to breath at the intense smell of perfume that struck her. The floral scent struck her harder than his blades. Taiki grinned down at her, blood on his teeth. Again, she felt the rush of satisfaction and it must've shown on her face.

"You think you can beat me, sweetheart? Me? I'm leader of the Mount Kaou bandits! Maybe I won't kill you. Maybe I'll—"

She heard Tetsuya's yell, distracting her just enough for Taiki to disengage one of the knives from her bō, sweeping it across her gut. She hissed, withdrawing back. She'd felt the slice.

Miho felt the breath get knocked out of her in the next moment. She rolled to the ground about fifty feet away, head pounding and blood pulsing in her ears. Her stomach was aching, burning, tearing. It _hurt._

"Miho!"

Scrambling to her knees, Miho watched the three bandits circling to Tetsuya. Tetsuya, who kept sending worried looks her way.

Up! Up! _Up!_

Struggling to her feet, she took a couple steps forward.

It felt like the energy just…melted from her. She stumbled and reached up to grab the wooden bō from her back. The leader grinned through the blood.

"Just don't know when to back down, do you?"

I'm not gonna run away and I never go back on my word, that is my nindō! My ninja way.

She could feel the blood sliding down from her stomach and onto the front of her pants. Unsure of how much damage had been done, she resolved not to look down. A strike to the gut could be fatal. _But she wasn't dead yet._

She reached into her pocket with her free hand and felt around for the pill pack. The leader was approaching, smirking.

Smirking like he'd already won. Smirking like he enjoyed the damage he'd done.

He probably_ did_ enjoy it.

A cruel man like him would enjoy hurting anyone.

"You're not ready for me, sweetheart."

But he wasn't going to enjoy the next part.

Tetsuya was yelling as he fought. Three against one. She could hear one gurgling as he fell to the ground. Two against one. Too many and Tetsuya was bound to lose. Miho had to protect him. Protect him and those girls.

Her thumb found the right door on the pill case.

Miho shook her head. "No, it's _you_ who's not ready for _me_."

* * *

**A/N:** THANK YOU FOR READING! Also thank you to everyone that has reviewed and favorited and followed this story. We just crossed the 60,000 word mark! Each review lights up my day and truly makes me smile. Thank you for taking the time to engage with this story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	10. Part I: Anagnorisis

The pill was between her teeth. The capsule was starchy, leaving an uncomfortable grit on her tongue. Narrowing her eyes at the smirking bandit leader, Miho flinched at the images that filled her mind. Not images of the future or of Naruto. Not the impending doom, the mangled bodies and the blood-red moon. No, images of how she'd tear him apart. She pressed the pill between her incisors to cut the film. The sharp cut of coppery spinach struck her tongue. Just as her teeth began to cut into the pill—

"Stop, Miho."

Feeling a presence behind her— and the all-consuming, sweltering, festering Killing Intent— Miho turned to find Genma-sensei dropping the third body of the three bandits to the ground. She could feel the pill fizzling on her tongue. Tetsuya stood behind him, winded and bloodied, but alive. He looked at their teacher in no little awe. Miho could barely process _how fast_ their teacher had to move to kill three men in mere seconds.

Senbon still in his mouth, her teacher's eyes trailed to her. She could see the critical assessment. She turned just a bit more, so he could see the gut wound— however bad it was. His dark eyes widened just a bit before she saw his jaw set.

The Killing Intent that flooded the valley was palpable. It made her knees shake.

Pulling in a breath through her nose, Miho held up her unbloodied hand and spat the pill back out, shoving it into her pocket. It had already begun to disintegrate and she could feel the slightest rush of energy flood her upper back and arms. It felt like a rush of adrenaline and lactic acid.

In a blink, Genma-sensei was in front of her. He was so good at the Body Flicker technique that he seemed to appear from thin air. She couldn't even sense his chakra (though admittedly, she was terrible at sensing).

"You must be their teacher." Taiki surmised with a laugh. "A little late to our party."

"A party? Must've lost my invite." He switched the senbon to the right side of his mouth.

Then, with frightening calm, he reached up and pulled the senbon from his lips.

"Your girl there was about to show me a good time."

"Wouldn't have been so good for you," Genma-sensei shrugged.

"I don't know—"

Genma-sensei's fingers were empty.

Miho turned to see the man grasping his throat, eyes wide as his hands tore at the skin of his neck leaving red gouges in the skin. He gasped for air with increasingly frantic movements until he dropped. His grey eyes were wide and unseeing as foam spilled from his mouth onto the rocks.

"I'll have to get a refund for the platter I ordered."

Genma-sensei turned, lowering himself down to one knee. His right hand pressed to her stomach, brows pulled together as he flashed her a concerned look. "Considerin' you're not spilling out intestines, he just nicked you. Feeling dizzy at all?" His left hand came up to rest on her shoulder. "Any poison symptoms?"

"N-No, sensei." Miho glanced down to see that her yukata was cut and her skin blow that was sliced cleanly open— about five or six inches and enough to split the skin. The weight of her stomach drew the skin down. Not nearly as bad as she had imagined, thanks to the fat around her middle. "I— No. No poison."

"Good. Okay." Reaching down, he cradled an arm under her shoulders and flickered them over to where Tetsuya was standing. Miho stumbled a bit before Genma-sensei caught her and gently set her on a nearby rock. "Tetsuya, help her get bandaged up. This time, it really is _just a flesh wound_. You're putting that medical kit to good use. Princess? My Lady, you can come out now."

Tetsuya looked at the blood and blanched, eyes trailing back up to her face.

Miho forced a smile, leaning back to give him better access to the wound. Tetsuya sat his pack down and withdrew his medical kit, having been named the surest medic among them. She saw his hands shaking and reached down to press a hand to his shoulder.

"We're okay, Tetsuya."

He stilled and stopped hunting for his medical kit. Miho wondered vaguely how Koji was going to react when he found out. Not well, she figured. Tetsuya heaved in a breath and held it. Then he let it go and went back to finding his kit. "You— You almost took the pill."

Miho nodded, leaning back to pull the yukata top up a bit. Tetsuya cut her a look.

"I need to get stronger."

"Me too. I can't— I can't let you be the frontliner."

Saying nothing, Miho watched as he set out the antiseptic and bandages. Luckily, despite the deepness of the cut, it wasn't bleeding as bad. Like blood melting through the fat. When he surged the antiseptic through the slice, Miho hissed and squeezed her eyes shut.

"That— That pill— It wouldn't have killed me, Tetsuya."

"You seem to think that_ it might not kill me_ is fair game, Miho. It's not."

That wasn't what she said.

Chuckling, Miho opened her eyes and turned to where she sensed they were being watched. One of the little girls— not the princess, but the older one— was watching from where she stood. Tetsuya scoffed at Miho's disregard for his words. She figured he'd bring it up later when he had Koji to back him up.

"Are you going to die?" The little girl asked, looking both upset and fascinated at the same time. Miho wasn't quite shocked, but she was thrown a bit off-kilter as the girl approached. Tetsuya choked on nothing. "My father got cut like that, but it was…messier."

It felt like cold water had been thrown over Miho and she sucked in a breath, knowing that a few inches less fat would've made the difference between life and death.

"I'm not going to die. I'm sorry about your father though."

"It was when I was littler." She waved it off as if it was nothing and moved closer, looking curiously at the cut Tetsuya was taping shut. "Lord Hori is going to have me train to be a healer."

Miho smiled. "Do you want to be a healer?"

The girl approached even closer and nodded. "I've always wanted to be a healer. My father was a healer."

Miho wondered vaguely what her biological father did. After all, it was her biological mother that was the Akimichi. The thought made her feel a bit guilty. Her father was a great shinobi— Akimichi Chōza, who—

Swallowing down a grunt from a particularly painful pull on the wound, Miho glanced to Tetsuya and nodded at him. "Could you help him out?" Holding out her arm for the girl to see another cut, Miho gestured to it. "I think I got a few more cuts than he can handle." Tetsuya stared up at her and glared before gesturing for the girl to come closer. "What's your name?"

"Reiko. I'm the lady-in-waiting to Princess Noriko."

The princess, who was currently approaching with her hands wringing in front of her dress, heard her name mentioned and glanced up. "I am Princess Noriko."

"Hello, Princess Noriko. I'm Akimichi Miho. This is my teammate, Utatane Tetsuya. Our other teammate— the guy who took your merchants to safety— his name is Koji."

Tetsuya laid a bandage over the wound and had her sit up, bracing one end of the bandage to the front and reaching around as far as he could go. Miho went to grab the gauze, but Reiko stepped forward and helped it around to where Tetsuya took hold of it again. He muttered a 'thank you.'

"You were very brave to save us." Princess Noriko commented, stepping up to Miho's side. She bowed her head a bit. "I can't thank you enough."

Poor girl sounded tired and frightened and overwhelmed and _way older than her age_. Miho wondered if that's what it was like for royalty. "Glad that we were able to help. Genma-sensei, what's the plan?"

"I've already sent a notice to the River King. I would bet that a new escort will arrive by evening. We'll rest up and head out tomorrow afternoon."

Miho pulled her yukata down and looked to where Reiko was fishing pebbles out of the gouge on her upper arm. "Did Koji make it down safely?"

"He's fine. Not very happy at the moment."

"He'll get less happy when he hears you're injured." Tetsuya commented, handing Reiko the bandages. Rising up from his crouch, Miho looked up at him and waited for whatever was on the tip of his tongue. "Later."

"Later." Miho nodded.

"I'm running a perimeter check before we move to meet up with Koji in the town." Genma-sensei stated, pulling a senbon out of his pack and slipping it between his lips.

His eyes were still cold as they had been before, but, as Miho thanked the girl and pushed herself up to stand, he smiled. Tetsuya handed her the bō, which he'd grabbed from where it'd fell during the battle.

"We're okay, Genma-sensei. Don't worry about us. We'll guard the girls."

Tetsuya nodded in agreement, earning a very rare pat on the crown of his head from their teacher. Genma-sensei disappeared.

"My father will be grateful." Princess Noriko stated, demurely bowing her head. Miho could hear the emotion she was barely holding back. "I— We— My mother was…lost." Biting her lip, Miho reached into her pocket and withdrew a cookie, handing it over to the princess, who stared at her with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"When I'm sad, I eat."

Miho smiled when the girl took it, nibbling a bit at the edges. She looked more her age then, easing into being a kid rather than being a princess. Tetsuya grabbed his pack and happened to kick the head of one of the bandits as he moved.

"Stay still, Chubs. Eat more."

Saluting him, she set to work on a bag of chips. She could see his plan. She was close protection. He was intermediate. Smiling, she handed a different bag of chips to Reiko.

It was hours before they made it down from the mountain. Her head ached the entire journey, steps unsteady and uneven over the rocks. Tetsuya carried Reiko, sticking close to Miho's side in case she toppled down the hills. Genma-sensei carried the princess, telling her bits and pieces about his adventures as a shinobi.

The River King acknowledged Genma-sensei's message and was coming personally to get his girl. They'd have to remain in Rockfall village until he arrived with his contingent.

Miho held herself upright as best as she could when they entered the village limits, trying not to look too pale or sweaty or in pain. Tetsuya scoffed at her effort, shaking his head as he set the girl down. Reiko immediately went to her princess's side, leaving Miho and Tetsuya alone for the first time in hours.

"You're not gonna fool him. He's not stupid."

"Not trying to fool him. Just—"

"Koji can handle it, Miho. He can focus on the mission and be worried about you. If I can do it, so can he."

When Miho glanced his direction, she saw that his hands were planted on his hips and his eyes were narrowed and _there was no way she was going to win this argument._ "Fine, fine. There's something else bothering you though."

"Yeah? What else could be bothering me, Chubs?" He rolled his eyes, shoving both hands into his pockets in a manner very reminiscent of their teacher. "Could it be that you defaulted to frontliner? Or that you got hurt? Or that you almost took that stupid pill instead of taking off your weights? Or that I distracted you which gave that bastard an opportunity to attack? What part do you think bothers me?"

"I…screwed up. I forgot about the weights."

"You…_forgot_ about the weights? What do you mean you 'forgot about the weights'?"

Scuffing her shoe in the dirt, Miho sighed. "I forgot I was wearing them. But I mean, yeah…all of this sucked, but…none of us—"

"Don't say it."

Miho looked up to see Koji.

She flinched at the expression on his face. Like an earthquake given human form, all intensity and rumbling while the surface held smooth— only a few scant cracks.

And those cracks were his eyes.

"Genma-sensei told me to come see ya." He cut Tetsuya a glance before focusing on Miho. "Said you got hurt."

Genma-sensei was playing favorites, Miho thought dryly. After all, he thought Koji could be a prodigy marksman. And he thought the bandana was cute. And Koji was slowly starting to take up his oral fixation. And throwing her to the wolves was just cruel, honestly.

Koji stepped forward, looking to Tetsuya for an explanation.

"She got stabbed."

Miho's mouth dropped open. "I did _not_ get _stabbed_."

"Oh yeah? What would you call that then? Sliced?" Tetsuya crossed his arms, shifting his weight to one leg. _Oh_, Miho realized. _He's ready to argue._ She was too tired for this. "And! And! She forgot to take off her weights. She defaulted to the first dang pill!"

"Tetsuya!"

"Miho!"

"Koji, seriously!"

"Genma-sensei!" The three looked over to where their teacher stood, hands stuffed into his pockets. "You kids wanna hang out over here or you wanna help finish the mission?" He waited, watching them. "I seriously did send you to get them, Koji, not to chastise Miho. We can all do that later."

Miho felt her mouth drop open, walking a couple steps behind the two boys. They both kept looking back, as if she drop like a sake of potatoes if they went without seeing her for more than a couple seconds. "I did what I had to do!"

"No one's arguin' that."

"It's the pills. We need to figure out something else." Tetsuya noted as they arrived to Genma-sensei's side.

"This mission gave us a lot to work on." They looked up at their teacher. "We'll go over notes on the way back. In the meantime, it's time to work on your diplomacy skills. What do you know about the relationship between Tani and Konoha?"

They started walking down the main village path toward where the merchants and escort caravan where housed at the main inn. Miho pressed a hand to her stomach to keep it steady and went through the linkages in her mind.

All the constellations she'd built over years and years was now a network of old memories, Images, and information she'd read in old Akimichi scrolls.

"Tanigakure doesn't like us. However, a lot of people don't like Tani— even the River Kingdom." Miho ticked off the things she knew on her left hand. "The Land of Rivers has been a land of constant battle. It's the River Kingdom that actually holds power there. Tani had little-to-no sway."

"Read that in a book, Chubs?"

"Actually, _yeah_, I did."

Koji snorted.

Genma-sensei stopped, turning to face them at the corner of the inn. "The mission parameters changed because the Hokage has been working on restoring relations with the Land of Rivers since the Second Great Shinboi War. Sorry to say, we're gonna have to politic the hell outta this."

While Koji deflated, shoulders curving forward and eyes looking away, Miho and Tetsuya stood firm. Miho knew that Tetsuya had been raised to be politically-savvy. After all, he was the grandson of Utatane Koharu, a member of the Konoha Council.

Miho straightened and swallowed down a swell of exhaustion and fear. This mission wasn't over.

"Stringbean, help me get this pack off."

He did as she asked as Genma-sensei kept his eyes on the road, no doubt keeping an eye out for the royal caravan. She smiled at Koji, who held the pack up for her as she rifled through to find the scarf.

Pulling it out, she double folded it and pulled it around her waist, hiding the blood and cinching the injury. The added pressure made it feel more secure and the fine material made her outfit look more presentable. "Tie me off, please."

Tetsuya set about folding the fabric. Meanwhile, Miho downed three cookies. "Koji, since you're not our diplomacy go-to, can you—"

"You sayin' something about my people skills?"

Tetsuya laughed. "Sayin' _a lot_ about your people skills."

"Focus, kids." Genma-sensei muttered, rolling his eyes. "Tetsuya, you good?"

Her teammate shrugged, releasing the bow he'd tied with the scarf. Miho wondered if it looked like an obi with as long as he'd spent folding the fabric. "You hang around my grandmother for long and you're always ready for politics."

"Then let's get this show on the road."

* * *

The River King was a beautiful man. Miho had never thought of a man as beautiful before. It was almost unfair, she thought, as he approached on horseback. He looked like something out of a fairy tale, donning shimmering blue fabrics with brown flowing hair that seemed to catch some unfelt wind. Angular features and a strong jaw line. Miho wondered if it was even possible for such a pretty man to be a good man too.

"Father!"

Princess Noriko was obviously breaking protocol as her father swung off his horse to gather her up.

His hair was as long as his daughter was tall.

It was an odd thing to notice.

The contingent of men behind him were not shinobi, which Miho thought was strange given that the Land of Rivers did have Tanigakure.

The River King rose, his daughter in his arms. Reiko approached with more courtesy and was rewarded with a smile and a pat on the head.

"You've done well, Reiko. You were very brave, I'm sure." His attention turned to Genma-sensei. "You have my sincerest thanks. My daughter was journeying to visit the Fire Daimyo. We are working to secure peace with the Land of Fire through trade." His attention flickered down and Miho stood a bit straighter. She could feel Tetsuya doing the same.

"That's Miss Kunoichi Miho! She and Mister Shinobi Tetsuya saved us, Father!"

Reiko agreed. "Miss Miho was hurt trying to protect us."

Miho tried not to flush. Instead, she focused on cataloguing all of the ways this could work well for Konoha and for the mission. When she looked up, it was accidently into the tall king's eyes.

"Thank you for saving my daughter and niece. I, and the River Kingdom, am in your debt."

Bowing formally, Miho gritted her teeth through the pain that lanced through her abdomen. She could hide it well enough from civilians. "I am glad I was in the right place do to so, Your Majesty."

"Yes, we're happy we were able to help." Tetsuya bowed next to her, cutting her a look in the bow. He was worried.

She eased herself up and looked to their teacher. In her peripheral vision, she could see Reiko studying her stance and focusing hard on her stomach.

In other circumstances, Miho would've just passed it off as normal. When she glanced in the girl's direction, she smiled and nodded. She really was fine. Everyone could stop worrying.

"Konoha heard of the attacks on Rockfall Village and we were sent to investigate. It was very fortunate we were able to step in when we did."

The River King nodded, expression becoming grave. Miho idly wondered if anyone in Konoha had eyes like that. She couldn't remember anyone that had eyes like that.

"I, too, had heard of the Mount Kaou villains, but we do not have the resources to root out such foes. Our hope was that the Spirit Mountain band would repel them, but…We have lost all contact with Spirit Mountain."

Miho kept her mouth shut, but wondered why the royal house would have contact with a bandit gang. It was odd outside of negotiations for any government to be in direct conversation with bandits and outlaws.

"Should you ever have need of me or of the Land of Rivers…" The King handed her teacher a scroll. The blue paper was shimmery like the River King's clothing. It looked like water in sunlight. "You need only contact me via this scroll. Please convey my deepest regret to your Hokage that our previous history has been so fraught. Perhaps we can endeavor to do better by our younger generations."

That was certainly surprising. What happened to Tanigakure? Why were they— silent? Tanigakure would not be so amiable to peace with the Land of Fire or Konoha.

Miho watched as he sat the princess down and turned to his men, the gathered banners.

Miho looked down to find Reiko and Princess Noriko approaching. Slowly, Miho lowered herself down to one knee to get on their level.

"When I get older, I want to be like you, Miss Kunoichi Miho." Princess Noriko stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Miho felt a bit disoriented by that statement. Enough so that even her balance shifted. She felt Tetsuya grab her shoulder to steady her. "I don't wanna run away either. I want to be strong and powerful! That way, I can be a good princess!"

She swept forward and threw her arms around Miho, not realizing that the pressure made Miho want to scream out in pain. She bit her lip and pressed it down and out, away. She controlled it.

"And I really like your cookies!"

Miho laughed.

Hours later, she sat on a bed at the inn. Genma-sensei was redressing the wound while the boys were finishing their repacking on the floor. His senbon hadn't moved in thirty minutes, a pretty dangerous sign.

"Remember what I said about taking hits and getting up and that leading to overconfidence?"

Miho cringed. "Yes, sensei."

"You need to get better at thinking on your feet. If you took that pill today, you might've died."

She heard the boys stop packing, all movement in the room ceasing. While she knew that dying was a risk, it also wasn't _likely_. The spinach pill would've only consumed 25% of her reserved calories. Her genetics- from her biological parents, whoever they were- somehow made her weight distribution different. Two pills was all she had. It was the yellow pill that would kill her, not the green one. It shouldn't have been her first choice, but—

"Stop thinking about how to justify it and _just listen_."

Eyes snapping up to her teacher's face, she watched as he sat back on the edge of the bed and looked to his bloodied hands. She was still bleeding, though it was mostly staunched. And, for the first time, she realized that her teacher had the blood of a student on his hands.

Her heart stuttered.

Tetsuya, earlier, had her blood on his hands.

She felt sick.

"You're gonna be a frontliner. There's no way around that, Miho. Just because you _can_ take hits, doesn't mean it's smart. You need to think more strategically."

Taking hits was her plan.

Being a shield.

Miho bit the inside of her lip and screwed her eyes shut.

Strategy had never been her strength. She relied a lot on Ino and now, Shikamaru, for strategy. Focus and thinking during battle had always been something with which she struggled. And now, she'd paid the price for it.

How could she be a shield? How could she best guard the backs of the people she cared about?

"Training."

It almost seemed as though Genma-sensei was reading her mind. He glanced down at her and nodded.

"When we get back, your training doubles."

"Okay, Genma-sensei."

"Koji, you've got the steadiest hand. I want you to take additional medical courses at the hospital. We need someone proficient in medical treatment."

She glanced over to see Koji nodding. His bandanna was off and his dark blue hair fell into his face.

"Tetsuya, you're starting hard-core kenjutsu training. Not the half-ass stuff you've been doing with me. I'm calling in a favor."

Tetsuya smiled, an eager tint to his eyes. "Alright, Genma-sensei."

"And Miho?" She looked up at her teacher and waited. He turned and stared down at her for a long moment before sighing. "You're a heavy hitter and you're smart. Now, we need those two things to actually work together. I've got a colleague I think can help and you start with him as soon as we get back."

"Okay, sensei." For some reason, she felt the next words come out without thought. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, senbon moving to the other side of his mouth as his eyebrows quirked. "Don't apologize. You're learning."

"I worried the boys."

"Eh, yeah, they're cute like that." She ignored their screeching, but knew it was all playful ribbing. "I'm sure they'll pay you back in spades somehow."

* * *

Koji held grudges.

For some reason, Miho'd never realized this. When it wasn't directed at her, she'd never really paid attention to it. Like how he would rudely ignore when someone was talking or act like he couldn't understand them. Or when he stuck a pinky in his ear and acted as if there were some physical reason why he couldn't hear them.

"What was that you were saying, Miho?"

Shooting Tetsuya a_ look_ behind Koji's back, she sighed. "I _said_, I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Sorry, but it _sounded_ a lot like ya just said ya don't need ta go to the hospital. But I know I ain't hearin' ya right because _that's stupid_."

Miho heaved in a breath and held it, ignoring the searing sensation across her stomach as she turned to face their teacher. He looked calm-as-you-please, head upturned to the bright blue sky.

"Is _this_ what you meant, sensei? Koji's gonna _mother-hen_ me into compliance?"

"Saw it comin' a mile away." Genma-sensei shrugged.

"Tetsuya _and_ Genma-sensei treated it yesterday, Koji. It's fine. It's not even bleeding anymore."

Koji turned around and gave her the harshest look she'd ever received from him and it sent shivers down her spine. "Look, sweetheart, your good ol' buddy Koji's just tryin' to look out for ya. Tryin' to be a good teammate. And _you're not makin' it easy_."

Guilt-tripping too. Koji was really coming into his own with this.

Miho sighed.

"Fine! I'll go to the dang hospital."

Tetsuya held up his right hand, balling his fingers into a fist. Koji answered with his left, tapping their knuckles together.

"They're tag-team mother-henning! This isn't fair!"

Genma-sensei chuckled. "If you don't want your team to mother-hen you, then make good choices." They arrived at the front gate desk, stepping into the shade to see two chūnin guards with the sign-in roster already prepped. "Kamizuki, has Hagane run off again?" Miho tried not to smile at the expression of utter defeat on the guard's face. "Team Five returning from a C-rank."

"Kotetsu is off on his lunch break." Kamizuki responded as Miho and the boys signed into the roster. "But if you happen to see him…loitering, kick him for me."

Genma-sensei saluted, turning to face Team Five after they stepped a few feet into the village. "Koji, Tetsuya…Take Miho to the hospital to get checked out. Tetsuya, write the report this evening and submit tomorrow morning. Koji, Miho, write yours and get it to Tetsuya tonight so he can compile." Miho nodded, fingers itching for potato chips.

"I will report to the Hokage. Rest tomorrow. We'll meet at Training Ground 5 the day after— usual time."

That said, he disappeared.

Miho deflated, grabbing the bag of chips from her pocket and sliding one onto her tongue. She let it sit there for a few moments as Koji glared at her to start moving. The salt was comforting.

"We're not mad at you. We're worried."

Koji folded his arms behind his head and looked away. She felt Tetsuya on her other side, hovering. Just as he'd done_ the entire trip back_.

"I already apologized for worrying you. I get it— defaulting to the pill was a bad idea."

"That's not—"

"You _really_ don't get it, do you?"

Miho stopped, turning to stare at her teammates. They both were so different in their anger. Koji was outright with it. It boiled over and spiked. Tetsuya's was a roiling seethe just under the surface.

"We're not idiots, Miho. We're all gonna get hurt. To be mad at ya for that would be stupid. We're not stupid."

"It…We've gotta get so much better. We can't be in that kind of situation again. The only reason we survived was because of Genma-sensei. What happens when he's not there?" Tetsuya heaved in a great breath and held it. After a moment, he brushed his bangs out of his face and squared his shoulders.

Koji reached forward and grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Miho wondered if he'd somehow gotten taller on that mission. He seemed taller somehow.

"You can count on me. We'll all get stronger."

"Me, too. Soon, three bandits like that will be nothing. Trust me, Miho."

"Team Five can't lose a member, Miho. We can't lose each other. You have our word. Do we have yours?"

Miho swallowed, nodding before she even realized what she was doing. Agreeing to something like that was…heavy. It was terrifying. It felt like a sentence. It felt like the scariest thing to promise.

_ With what was coming, was it even possible?_

"Now, c'mon. I seriously think you need stitches. Those pieces of tape aren't gonna cut it."

In the shadow of the Hokage Monument again, Akimichi Miho walked through the streets of Konoha seeing flashes of ruin— of a future that was approaching with frightening speed. And she promised her team that they wouldn't lose a member.

She just prayed that she didn't just seal their fate by agreeing. She prayed that the narrative forgave her.

Because when telling a story, it was often those kinds of promises that got broken first.

* * *

"And you believe they are not ready?"

He tried very hard _not_ to hear the disappointment in the Hokage's tone.

Shiranui Genma knew what the old man wanted: a showing of each new genin team in the upcoming Chūnin Exams. International prestige, a demonstration of strength.

While some of the other teams may have been ready, his was not. He wasn't about to throw them into something for which he felt they were ill-prepared. After all, he just returned from a situation where he did just that. The ripple effects of that FUBAR mission would be far-reaching.

Especially now that his students now had a B-rank in the books instead of a C-rank.

He didn't like it.

Not at their age. Not during peacetime.

"They're not ready, Lord Hokage."

"That is…unfortunate. It may be useful for them to experience the exams without pressure to reach the chūnin level. As a way to diversify their knowledge. After all, they will be able to witness the fighting styles of various regions."

The Hokage was trying to sell it, which was far more effort than Genma was expecting. Especially when Lord Sarutobi could just _order_ Team Five to participate. Genma could sense it in the air of the office, especially with the way the other teachers were shifting. The only one that seemed to be on his side was Iruka-sensei. And that was for the entirely wrong reasons. Everyone else knew what was coming and pitied him for thinking he could get his team out of it.

"With what you have told me, Genma, they exhibit strong skills in teamwork."

"They do, sir. However, they have not yet fully developed their individual skills. I aimed to specialize their training upon our return."

Genma hated being cornered like this. He walked in from one _hell_ of a mission into a jōnin teacher meeting, blind-sided by the Hokage's questions regarding his team's exam nomination. He'd never intended to nominate them. Not the first time out.

"I will defer to you, sir, but I do not recommend them for the exams."

"The experience will be good for them." Genma didn't roll his eyes at the final tone. He knew as soon as he initially refused that the Third would still make them participate. The old man wanted the theatre of_ all_ new teams participating. The Konoha 15. The Rookie 12. "Team Five will participate and I do hope for a good showing from them."

Just because his kids had to _participate_ didn't mean that they had to make it past the first test. They didn't even have to make it to the first test. Genma nodded easily, flicking his senbon with his tongue.

"And they will_ try their best_, for the _good of Konoha_."

Damn it.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Genma bowed and stepped back in line with the other teachers. Keeping his face completely devoid of emotion, he fell back into his mind and tuned out the remainder of the meeting. Team Seven, Eight, and Ten, as well as Gai's team. Gai's team— who already had a year of preparation under their belts! Eight and Ten— full of clan heirs. Seven— which was politically-stacked and required to participate out of principle. Teams Two and Four were hardly prepared. No way they would make it past the first round.

But his kids?

Individually, his team wasn't ready for this. Together, they'd make it far enough to be in danger. There was already so much to work on with the kids. This expedited the timeline by weeks. If they made it past the second round...

If they were to have any chance of surviving...

Genma didn't even spare the door a glance when the meeting was dismissed. He took off out the window and headed for ANBU headquarters.

* * *

Miho had every intention of keeping her injury a secret. After all, it was already healed.

There was no reason to concern her family with something that was in the past. She was welcomed home to a spread of absolutely scrumptious food: noodles and grilled meats and pickled cabbage and beautiful, beautiful deserts. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek for the effort and dug in, excitedly telling her about the Mount Kaou bandits and the beautiful River King.

Chōji arrived from his missions looking exhausted until he glanced up from slipping off his shoes and saw her sitting at the kitchen table. Miho nearly spat out her mouthful of noodles with the force of his hug.

"You're back! We were all so shocked that you got an overnight mission! But then it ended up being longer than you said and we got worried. Are you okay? What happened?"

Miho gulped down the mouthful and grinned, batting at the red scarf he wore. He beamed, hopping into the chair by her. Their mother sat a plate of steaming pork buns on the table and sat down as well, ready to listen to the stories again.

She skipped the part about getting sliced in each telling.

Sure, it would've added some dramatic flair, but she really didn't want them to worry. After all, she was healed. Chōji really didn't need to distraction either, especially with all the progress he seemed to have made in family jutsus while she was gone. He was worried enough as it was— what with the world-ending knowledge of the future and all that.

"Miho, you're back!"

Her father swept her into an embrace, pulling her fully off the floor and walking over to the porch. He sat her on his knee as if she were still just a little girl. Chōji hurried into the kitchen at their mother's call for help with dinner. Miho grinned, pleased to have a sense of normalcy.

Normalcy wasn't going to last much longer.

She forced that thought into the back of her mind.

"How was your first distance mission, sweet bun?"

In the third telling, Miho threw in additional details. The leader of the Mount Kaou bandits was hauntingly pretty with hair the color of moonlight and eyes like steel. He was quick as a viper and absolutely batshit insane. She told of how the mission parameters changed and how they rescued a princess. And how Genma-sensei destroyed at least half of a mountain gang.

"It was so cool!"

"I thought they were joking with the hero worship of Genma." Chōza patted her bandage-wrapped leg. "Kakashi has been spreading the rumor that you're all brainwashed."

Just because his team wasn't as cool…

"Genma-sensei is awe—"

"MIHO— MY BEAUTIFUL, YOUTHFUL FRIEND OF THE AGES! ARE YOU HEALED FROM YOUR GRIEVOUS INJURY? YOUR FIGHTING SPIRIT NEVER CEASES TO—"

Miho felt her heart stop as Lee landed in the clearing.

_Grievous injury._

Those words rattled around in her brain. She felt her father tense.

His eyes widened, immediately sensing a shift in the air. Miho pushed herself off her father's lap and stepped away, focusing on Lee instead of her father. Lee was a good distraction, even if all of what was to come was his fault. "Hi, Lee! Do you want to stay for dinner? See? I'm totally good!"

His attention flickered over her shoulder before he approached, significantly more subdued. His voice was more hushed, but it was only a courtesy. Any jōnin worth their rank would be able to hear his murmur. "I heard you were hurt, my friend. I came to check on you."

"Thank you. Honestly, I'm fine, Lee. Got healed up at the hospital." Miho patted her stomach where the slice had been. His eyes trailed down to her hand, eyes going a bit wide at the implication. The breath was knocked out of her in the next moment as he surged forward to grab her in a hug. "Lee, I promise— I'm okay! No way Team Five would've let me go home if I wasn't."

"It was your Rough and Tumble Koji that told me of your injury."

Miho swore _vengeance._

"Miho, a word? Lee, I am sure that Aiko would love help with dinner. She might even make your favorite."

Lee took the dismissal with grace, smiling Brightly and Kindly as he made his way into the house. He glanced at her over his shoulder before disappearing from sight. Miho's shoulders rounded and she turned to meet her fate. Sighing, she raised her eyes to her father's.

"Let me guess, Miho. It 'wasn't a big deal.'"

She flinched.

"Why does it always seem that it is your Honor Brother that doesn't abide your understatements and sidestepping?"

Miho bit back her kneejerk response: "It's not in his nature." That would've been a bad tone to set, she knew. Her father's expression was severe, and it was bordering on Clan Head rather than Father.

"I didn't want to worry Chōji."

And really, that was the truth of it.

The bare bones truth.

Her brother had enough to worry about.

"Chōji is stronger than you are giving him credit for. This is another instance of you _not trusting_ your brother."

"I trust him. I—" She told him about the future, her dreams, what was coming. She trusted him and Shikamaru with more than she trusted anyone. She didn't elect to tell Ino. She elected to tell Chōji and Shikamaru. That had to count for something. But it also meant that her brother had so much weight on his shoulders already. He was sweet and kind and good-hearted. He didn't need to know she was injured.

"No, you don't or you would trust his ability to handle your injury. Miho, this is a reality of your profession. You cannot hide injuries from your family, no matter how much you wish not to worry us."

Miho lowered her head and started down at the roll of fat that blocked her shoes. That fat had been cut just hours before. An outfit was forever ruined because of the blood stains and the severed cloth. Maybe there was more to it than that. The injury wasn't a bad one, but it seemed like the ripples just kept forming waves.

"I almost took the green pill."

She lifted her head and met her father's eyes, which were open and critically assessing everything about her stance, expression, and chakra. The last time she'd seen him like this, trust had also been an issue. She'd made her own changes because of that conversation.

She took steps to trust more, to do better.

But had he?

She tried not to let that bother her. She'd expected him to do too much— to bring Naruto into the fold more or to at least make moves to let Naruto know. But, nothing. Absolutely nothing in the weeks since then. She tried not to let that burn. She tried not to let that bother her.

But it did.

"I made a mistake. I forgot my weights. I got distracted. I got injured. And when I got desperate, I almost took the green pill. I spat it out before it took effect because Genma-sensei showed up. I didn't _think_."

After a long while, her father nodded, hands moving to rest on his knees as he leaned forward. His eyes were critical, narrowed. "What will you do differently?"

Miho stood there, hands tingling.

She wondered if she should list out the training regimen, she'd already worked out on the way back to Konoha. She wondered if she should describe the ideas that Genma-sensei had detailed— meditation and focus training with some unknown teacher. She even wondered if she should describe how she intended to take up the naginata, a more offensive weapon.

But, for some reason, as tired and exhausted as she was…The only thought that kept echoing in her mind was the fact that Naruto _still didn't know_ who his parents were.

It was a nonsensical thought, but it was there- overriding everything else.

Even after she'd spoken to her father about it weeks before.

Even after she'd made it _clear_ that her friend _should know_.

A rational part argued that change took time.

The louder part shouted that_ there was only so much time left_.

"I want to know."

Confusion. That was the first emotion on her father's face. His brows knitted together and he sat back. Then, she saw the barest hint of conflict. Somehow, that only served to bolster her decision. "What do you mean, Miho?"

Swallowing down the flood of nervous energy like it was too large of a bite, Miho stepped forward and squared her shoulders.

"I want to know about my biological parents."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all SINCERELY for your reviews, favorites, and follows! My day gets brighter with each notification I receive. I've been wanting to write this story for so long and it is just so amazing to be able to put it into words at last! Also, an artist drew some fan art for this story! Please check it out on my tumblr and support the artist!

Thank you again!


	11. Part I: Transition

Carrying bags up the stairs took little effort— even if there were about twenty bags in-total and she had even more stuff in her backpack. Miho settled the plastic bags on the ground by the door and knocked, glancing about to the chipped paint and spiderwebs. She'd visited this place once before, but it had been at least a year since she'd stepped foot in the area. She avoided it because it made her feel terrible. Doing that, she realized, was no better than what anyone else in the village was doing.

A mistake she was fixing now.

The door opened just a fraction and was then thrown open.

"Miho! You're back! We only just got back a couple days ago! You wanna— What?" His eyes trailed down to the assortment of bags at their feet. For a moment, she thought he might glitch. "Whaddya got there?" He sounded skeptical. The image was only improved by his askew pajamas and the cap on his head. Cute.

Miho grinned, scooping her arms down to grab the bags and step inside. "Grab that bag I left out there, would ya?"

"What— Miho, what's all this, huh?" He did as she asked, grabbing the bag and hurrying after her. She made way to the kitchen, laughing a bit at the scattered trash and ramen cartons. On the table, she saw an open box of milk and a mess of empty containers with food still sitting in them. "Uh— I swear I was gonna clean, but then… Well, something more interesting came up, ya know."

He was sounding a little too much like Kakashi-sensei.

Or, _the Kakashi-sensei she remembered from the Images._

Stepping back from the counter, Miho gestured toward the groceries. "I brought food. I got you some fruits and vegetables— don't make that face. Cooked right, they taste great! And they're from Akimichi farms in the southeast!" He bounded into the kitchen, looking at the bags with wide eyes. "I've got some bread loaves here and some muffins. The kind you like. I made them. And cookies. I made those too." She held up a carton of the mission cookies, setting them on the counter. "I got you two cartons of milk. Throw that one away. Don't leave them out."

"Miho—"

"This is ramen." She held up a brightly-colored package and shook it. The ingredients rattled. "It's a high protein version, okay? It's a special Akimichi brand." She'd brought twenty. Opening a cabinet door, she jumped back when the door came off the hinge and dangled there.

Anger flooded her as she stared at it.

_How dare they—How dare they put him in a place like this?_

"Hey, Miho…You okay?"

"I'm good, I'm good. I remembered you saying that you really didn't have much food in your apartment. And I know you probably don't have much protein in your diet, too."

"Miho."

She stopped, turning to face him. After a long moment, she looked down at the ramen in her hand. "I know you probably have a team meeting. I just— I…"

She wanted to talk to someone who lost their parents the same day she did. She wanted to be with the son of the person her father died to protect. She wanted to do things right and stop screwing up.

Miho moved forward and hugged him. "I just needed a friend."

Naruto returned the hug automatically, arms going as far around her as they could. Feeling tears in her eyes, she pulled away and turned back to the cabinet, hastily wiping them. She knew he saw, but he didn't say anything. Naruto, for all of his brashness, wasn't a fool.

"I heard you got hurt on your mission. Are you alright?"

"Lee really did spread the word, didn't he?"

Lee was the very picture of contrition the night before, sending her puppy dog eyes over dinner. Dinner, which wasn't nearly as awkward as it could've been. Her father had never been a terribly awkward man and luckily, Chōji already knew. And her mother would never purposefully make anyone feel uncomfortable. Lee just felt terrible for "sparking the flame of dissent."

Miho didn't see dissent. She saw an opportunity.

An opportunity for things to be better than they were before— to be honest.

It would be some time before the wounds between her father and her healed though. She was frustrated with him— with his inaction regarding Naruto. But then, could she blame him for that? His whole generation was frozen. They held so much trauma that it seemed as if they were all stuck. Just like how her father struggled to describe her birth mother.

_"She was... She was my best friend. Liked books, like you. She was a good person."_ That was all he was able to say before telling her that she needed to rest after her mission. He didn't go to bed though. He left out of the front door, likely going to the Naras or the Yamanakas or the local haunt of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

* * *

_Chōji held her hand, sending her concerned looks between bites of his muffin. It was after dinner. Lee had already departed, throwing her desperately-sorry frowns as he disappeared into the night. Their father had just left and Miho stood staring at the door as if he might come back in and explain everything. Chōji had appeared at her side then, carefully taking her arm. "You okay?"_

_Miho shook her head. "I'm worried about Pa. I shouldn't've…but I just got so frustrated. I got so mad. They still haven't told Naruto."_

_"You've talked to Pa about that?" Chōji knew, of course. He and the rest of Team Ten. She hadn't had time to talk to them about it. It seemed there was so little time. So, so little time. "Maybe they're scared?"_

_"Scared of what? Naruto's reaction?"_

_Chōji's head shook and he took another bite of muffin, guiding her into the living room.. "No, scared of all of it." He shifted, lifting one leg onto the couch to look at her directly. Miho mirrored him. "I'm not mad at you for not telling me. I understand." She blinked, feeling her eyes heat and tears start. Looking away, she focused on the family portrait on the wall._

_Her brother held her hand tighter._

_"Miho." She looked up to see her mother in the doorway. She smiled. "I've made you some cookies. Let's talk a bit, dear heart."_

* * *

"Lee said you were sliced open."

"That's exaggerating a bit. It was a cut." Miho finished packing up the ramen and went over to slice of pieces of zucchini banana bread. She baked it the previous night, listening to her mother tell her about her birth parents. How they met, things they did, how much they loved her. "It did open my eyes though. I need to get stronger, focus more. I need to be better. How was your mission?"

Naruto flew into the story of how there was a missing-nin and an evil businessman and a beautiful shinobi and how Sasuke almost died. Miho listened, ticking off the checklist of things that were meant to happen. All the while, Naruto downed half of the loaf and three glasses of milk.

She wondered vaguely if he was bigger than the original story because he at least had some steady food.

Instead of the nasty food he was given by the villagers.

Miho made a conscious effort not to grip the edge of the counter-top. She'd surely break it. She'd shatter it.

"I can't think of us as tools. We're not tools— we're_ people_. And I want to protect everyone I can. My precious people. That's what I'm gonna do."

Smiling, Miho sat down at the table (which was now clean and tidy thanks to her busybody cleaning) and nodded. "I feel the same way."

"You always protect people, Miho. You protected me and Chōji."

Her head shook. "Not like you can and will. I'll do the best I can, but… I have faith in _you_, Naruto. You'll be a better protector than all of us. Because that's what a Hokage does. A Hokage is supposed to protect everyone, big and small and in-between."

She watched his eyes go wide and she felt her smile fade. Her father— biological father, Okuda Keisuke— died to protect his father. The Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Hokage, who died protecting the village that same night. The Fourth Hokage, who believed so much in his village and was proven so wrong. The Fourth Hokage, whose legacy had no idea he was a legacy.

But Naruto didn't know. He didn't know because no one told him.

And he suffered so much because no one _wanted to be reminded of their failures._

And because no one wanted to take the chance.

She was taken in while he wasn't.

So easily, things could have been different.

If someone had stepped up, things could have been so different.

"When you become Hokage, Naruto, I'm gonna be your guard."

He sat straighter, shocked eyes become harder and more certain. It was the Naruto that he hid behind all the bluster and joking. Miho wondered if anything was changing by her doing this or if that change mattered at all anymore. Where Naruto was concerned, she didn't care about _the changes_ and_ the story_.

She cared about him.

"I'll become Hokage and I'll protect everyone precious to me. And you won't get hurt then— because I'll protect you too." Naruto held up a fist and stared at her, believing every word.

Miho shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm gonna get hurt, Naruto. We all are. That's okay though. If we just get hurt, then we can keep getting up, right? We choose how we react to hurt. The hurt can define us or it can inspire us."

He nodded solemnly, but she could see that he wanted to argue. He wanted to make her see that he could— someday— protect everyone. And he just might. But Miho saw the Images. She saw the people he couldn't protect- many, many, many- and she could only imagine the kind of weight that would put on his shoulders.

No, she would bear that weight herself.

One day, she'd tell him.

Maybe on that day, he'd hate her for her silence.

But…

That's what a good guard does.

Shoulders the weight as best they can. Takes the hits.

Slapping the tops of her thighs, she pushed herself up and walked around the table to grab his plate and glass. Before moving away, she patted the side of his face. His eyes went wide with the gesture, a bit misty. She wondered, truly wondered, if anyone gave him affection.

"Get dressed, Future Hokage. I'll walk with you to your team and then head on to my own meeting."

He grinned, brighter and brighter until he careened forward to embrace her again around the middle with him half toppling out of his chair. Miho squeezed her eyes shut against the Images that assaulted her eyes— two people blocking a mighty claw with their bodies. "You're the best, Miho!" He threw himself out of his chair and disappeared into his room. She heard a crash and a slew of curse words. "I'm good!"

If it came to it, Miho knew she'd lay down her life for Uzumaki Naruto the same way that Okuda Keisuke did for Namikaze Minato.

She'd come to Naruto's apartment because it seemed like the calm in the eye of a hurricane.

Even before she knew about her birth parents and their fate, she'd been on this path.

Before she knew of Okuda Keisuke, she was going to protect Naruto.

Now, she had to walk that path with more certainty than ever before.

No matter what she encountered.

Moving slowly, she withdrew a picture that her father had given her the previous night from the pocket of her pants. Her father's hands had been shaking, quivering with barely controlled grief. But he was a strong man and he held the picture out to her with a sad smile. Her own hands were quaking now.

On it, a blond man and a red-headed woman— who was clearly hiding a pregnant belly— stood side-by-side with a large muscular man and big woman nearly his size. Both seemed to dwarf the other couple. They were all smiling, obviously joyful and excited about all the possibilities of life.

Miho sat it on the kitchen counter against a cup of high protein ramen and stepped back, knees shaking.

* * *

"Knock, knock. Who's there? It's Koji, Miho's favorite teammate— ya know the one she's already forgiven. Oh, Koji, glad you finally showed up. Yeah, you're totally forgiven. Come on in. Thank you." Miho stared at the door, waiting for it to open. Beside her, she felt Tetsuya deflate into his seat, muttering under his breath. The door to their study room opened and Koji stepped in, grinning apologetically. He waved and brought in offerings. "I brought chocolate."

"You told Lee."

He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and slouching toward his seat. They'd rented one of the quiet reading rooms on the upper floor of the book shop. "I mean, yeah, I did. But it was for a good reason."

"Define 'good.'"

"Define 'reason.'" Tetsuya said at the same time. He glared at Koji's reprimanding look. "That wasn't anyone's business but ours!"

"Lee's her friend. One of her best friends. What was I supposed to do, huh? Say 'nah, man, the mission went great and there were no problems whatsoever.' I'm a ninja, not a liar." He rolled his eyes and fished out the chocolate again, tossing it over to her. Miho caught it. "Told him because you've been training with him for forever."

"Telling Lee is the equivalent of telling Konoha." Miho sighed, shaking her head. "You're forgiven, but I really think we all need to talk about what leaves our group and what doesn't."

"You all can talk about that after we talk about something else first."

They all looked toward where Genma-sensei sat in one of the wingbacked chairs, as if he'd been there the whole time. He hadn't been. He'd just appeared. Miho simply filed it under "More Evidence That Genma-sensei Was Probably ANBU."

He rarely interrupted their Beta Location meetings, which meant that this was urgent and— by the severe expression on his face— unwelcome. He shifted jerking his head toward the door. Tetsuya rose up from his seat and moved to the seal by the door, pressing his hand to it and surging chakra into the wall.

Nervous energy flooded her stomach and she stopped eating the chocolate Koji'd brought.

Not good. Definitely not good.

"You are taking the Chūnin Exams."

For a moment, Miho thought she might pass out. Her arms began to tingle and her breathing— she couldn't tell if she was breathing to fast or not breathing at all. Swallowing hard, she quickly worked to get the panic under control.

Snakes destroying buildings.

Dead bodies fighting the Third.

The unopened box.

Naruto and…Gaara.

This was happening too quickly. Too fast. Wasn't it?

She hadn't even had time to sit down with Team Ten and_ plan_.

A deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Find the center of gravity. The panic wouldn't eat her alive. She'd eat it.

"— frankly didn't nominate you and, personally, I don't think you're ready. I think you all know that, too, from your expressions."

"Then why are we taking the exams? We're _not_ ready."

Miho gritted her teeth, parsing through the reasoning. It was Tetsuya that said it first. "Politics. All of the first-year teams are competing, right? My grandmother would've pushed for that. Since Konoha is hosting, we should have the largest turnout and the best representation."

"That's— If ain't ready, we could embarrass Konoha."

"Wouldn't go _that_ far." Genma-sensei shrugged. He sat up and pulled the senbon from his lips, resting his elbows on his knees to lean closer to the team. "You have every potential to do well, as a unit. Individually, I have concerns. The Hokage has made it clear you need to try your best."

"Meaning we can't withdraw or forfeit." Koji huffed a laugh, but it sounded strained. "What does the Hokage expect us to do?"

"Try." Genma-sensei answered. He pulled in a breath and shut his eyes for a moment. Miho glanced to her teammates, trying not to seem as nervous as she felt. Finally, their teacher opened his eyes again and looked at them each in turn. "I will not be disappointed in you or feel any less proud of you as my team if you forfeit though. There is such a thing as a tactical retreat."

Koji responded, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "We're a good team though. We have a chance."

"You're an excellent team." Genma-sensei nodded. Miho felt a bit awed by his agreement. "But the Chūnin Exams are individual exams, no matter how they try to sell it."

The reality of that hit them hard and Miho sighed, pressing her free hand to her head. The other raised the chocolate bar to her mouth, where she nibbled on the milk chocolate. She, Tetsuya, and Koji could collectively make it to chūnin, but on an individual level, none of them were ready. Still, they couldn't botch their own exam— because the consequence and reprimand would ultimately fall on Genma-sensei and perhaps, Konoha.

"Let's do our best." Tetsuya heaved in a breath and held it for a long moment before nodding. "Right? Let's get as far as we feel we can safely go. If we feel like we can't safely go any farther, then we'll withdraw as a team." He looked to Genma-sensei for approval.

Their teacher smiled and replaced the senbon between his teeth. He shrugged. "Up to you, Book Club. I'll back whatever decision you guys make."

Miho pulled in a breath, trying to parse through all of the overlapping worries. The Chūnin Exams were one of the few clear memories she had. She remembered the sequence of events, the build-up, the matches, the Forest… "Genma-sensei, I— Can I talk to you after this, please?"

His eyes flicked to her and she saw a bit of concern there, but he quickly hid it away and nodded his head. They spent the next several hours working through a game plan, an approach that might let them make it out of the exam alive. Miho tried to drop as many hints as she could without drawing attention.

How ruthless other teams could be.

How difficult it would be to do a survival scenario without proper supplies, they should plan for anything.

How outclassed they were.

When the boys left, Tetsuya inviting Koji over for dinner at the Utatane residences, Miho stayed behind and put away her chips. Genma-sensei waited patiently for her to work up her courage.

Because this was going to take courage.

"My biological father was Okuda Keisuke. My biological mother was Akimichi Chisato…or Okuda Chisato."

He nodded.

So, he knew.

Miho had wondered just how common the knowledge was. She tried not to let that bother her and instead focused on why she needed to tell him. Sure, she'd known for years, but…Drawing a scroll from her bag, she set it on the coffee table between her and her teacher.

"This was my mother's…or really, it was my father's. Biological— Okuda Keisuke's. He gave it to Akimichi Chisato when they were my age. When he started as a genin. I guess 'cause he was afraid he'd die and he was the last Okuda. She protected it, added to it. She was really into books. Seems I got that from her."

"She was an archivist." Genma-sensei said. Miho looked up, surprised by that. "More accurately: she was the Head Archivist for Konoha."

Her father hadn't told her that. He'd clammed up, merely said that they both served Konoha well, died when the Kyuubi attacked, and handed her the picture. Her mother told her slightly more: how they met, that they had a cute house that was destroyed in the attack, how Okuda Keisuke had been a shinobi close to the Hokage and had died protecting him that night. But…She wanted more, needed more.

Genma-sensei sensed her distress and rolled his senbon between his teeth. "Keisuke-senpai was a strong shinobi. He was Head of the Hokage Guard. Served the Fourth. I knew him well, worked with him for years."

Thrown entirely off balance, Miho grappled with the emotions that hit her. Relief, anger, disbelief. The most powerful among them was anger. It festered, bubbling in her chest like a stew. She gripped the arm of the wingback chair, hearing and feeling the wood pop under her fingers. Anger wouldn't do anything, so she forced it away and down and back.

"It was Chōza-sensei's decision. It wasn't my place or anyone else's place to tell you."

She had to bite back the urge to ask if that applied to Naruto, too.

Whose place was it to tell him?

Miho got some vicious sort of satisfaction in knowing that a picture sat on his kitchen counter that might start the cascade. If she suffered consequences for that, then she would bear them. She didn't regret it- not if Naruto figured it out.

"Now that you know— What're you gonna do with that knowledge?"

"Get stronger. This scroll is from the Okuda Family. My mother told me-"

"So, are you an Okuda now?"

Miho felt as if she'd been gut-punched. Then, she saw the challenge in his eyes. Like he was pushing her toward an answer rather than asking just to ask.

"No, I'm an Akimichi." Her right hand settled on her stomach and she patted the fat there. The symbol for 'food' felt comforting under her fingers. "I'll always be an Akimichi, but now I've got something else too. Something that can help make me stronger. So I can protect the people I need to protect. I'll use whatever resources I can to do that, including whatever's in this scroll."

After a moment, he smiled around the senbon. "Okuda Keisuke was a big guy. We used to call him 'Muscles' around the station. Big guy with a big heart. Always seemed to be happy about somethin'. He was always harping about how awesome the Akimichi were. Loved Chisato more than anything in the world." His attention flickered to the door and he sat back. "Seems we have a visitor."

Miho nearly jumped out of her skin when a masked figure appeared out of thin air between her and her teacher. Miho felt her heart quicken and struggled to maintain her breathing at a steady pace. It'd been years since she'd been so close to an ANBU member, yet the feeling was still the same. Fear.

"The Hokage requests Akimichi Miho's presence. Immediately."

Genma-sensei shot her a confused look before nodding. "I'll get her there." The cat-masked person glanced to him and nodded, disappearing into nothing as if they were never there in the first place. Once the ANBU left, Genma-sensei deflated and sighed around his senbon. "Just what did you do?"

Miho swallowed and quickly thought of any way to get out of the consequences she knew were coming. But she'd made her decision. Now, she had to live or die with the consequences.

If Genma-sensei took her to see the Hokage, he would know anyway.

"I left a picture of my birth parents in Naruto's apartment." Miho stared back at her teacher as he waited for the other shoe to drop. "Naruto's parents were in that picture too." She held his stare for a long moment, determinedly not backing down. She didn't regret what she did. She couldn't even bring herself to be scared of what the Hokage would do to her. Instead, she sucked in a breath and held it. "If he put two-and-two together, then I'm proud of him."

Her teacher seemed to think of all the ways he was cursed to have her on his team. For all of about five seconds. Then, he smirked around the senbon and shifted it to the other side of his mouth before slapping his knees and standing.

"Well, troublemaker, let's get you to the Hokage before you end up causing more turmoil, yeah?"

Miho nodded, reaching for a bag of chips. Barbeque-flavored. Her favorite. Chōji must've stacked her chips for the day. The thought made her desperately want to hug her brother. She closed her eyes as she savored the salt on one, letting it melt on her tongue before standing as well. A hand landed on her shoulder.

"I've got your back, Miho."

She looked up as he passed her toward the door. Vaguely Miho thought of how she might eventually dwarf him in size. She'd probably be twice his size in mass by the time she got to be in her late teens. But she didn't think she'd ever be as big as him in that moment.

"Let's go see the Hokage."

* * *

To the girl's credit, she looked him straight in the eye when she answered. "Yes, sir, I left that picture in Naruto's apartment."

Hiruzen had thought, for much of the girl's life, that she favored her mother. Sweet, demure, and determined Chisato. Chisato, who was careful and caring. It seemed that, over the years, she'd grown more and more like her father. He could see the ghost of Okuda Keisuke over her shoulder, a similar expression on his face. Brows drawn together, jaw set, eyes hard. The likeness was haunting. Okuda Keisuke had been a force. It seemed, this girl was as well.

"Naruto's parentage is a secret, Miho. A high-level secret. How did you learn of it?"

Again, to her credit, she did not look away. She did not flinch or cower. In fact, she squared her shoulders and quite obviously centered her weight. Hiruzen might've smiled if this weren't such a serious issue.

"I figured it out after the Mizuki situation."

"Figured it out? Explain."

His attention flickered to her teacher, who stood a few paces back from his student. Genma had removed his senbon and kept his arms crossed. Hiruzen appreciated the obvious bond between the two, even if Genma was currently acting as if he— the Hokage— would harm the girl.

Which he wouldn't, unless she gave him good reason.

Akimichi Miho raised her chin. "The Fourth Hokage was blond and 'killed' the Kyuubi. But…he didn't he sealed it into Naruto. And the only other Uzumaki in Konoha was the Red-Hot Habanero. I've read about her. The two of them died in the attack. Since he was Hokage, why would he advertise having a child? It'd be dangerous. But then...the Kyuubi. Naruto…" The girl trailed off, looking conflicted. "It seemed…obvious."

Obvious. The girl had never proven herself to be a prodigy. Upper-to-middle rank Academy scores, save for strength-training and endurance. A determined bookworm, perhaps, but never a prodigy. He glanced to Genma, noticing that the man appeared just the slightest bit frustrated.

"He wasn't meant to know."

Hiruzen lifted his pipe to his lips and pulled in the toxic air, holding it in his lungs until it burned. Meanwhile, he examined the girl's reaction.

She didn't agree, that much was obvious. By her expression and actions. Her hands flexed and she breathed a bit deeper. Genma was on edge, teetering at the point of a senbon. Hiruzen had to withhold a grin at that.

He'd been purposeful in the construction of that team and it seemed that his plans were working quite well.

Genma needed anchors, reasons.

Hiruzen gave him three.

"He wasn't meant to know yet, now he does."

She released a breath and deflated a bit. So, that was her goal. He had suspected as much. He had witnessed the girl's care for Uzumaki Naruto since they were mere children. Now, as genin, it seemed that bond had only grown more powerful. Powerful enough that the girl risked much to make Naruto aware of his heritage.

As a man, Hiruzen respected that kind of loyalty.

As the Hokage, he needed to make things clear.

"There was no law preventing Naruto from learning of his parentage, Akimichi Miho. Particularly among your generation, there was no mandate given to you. I had hoped that Naruto would be free of that burden." He lowered his pipe and watched her. She was in no legal trouble for her actions. There would be no reprimand. "He is already at risk due to his status as a jinchūriki. If other nations and enemies learn of his parents, he will be in more danger."

Something passed over the girl's eyes that made him sit straighter. It was a sort of darkness that he had never before seen in her. For a brief moment, he wondered. Wondered at her motivation.

"Why did you decide to do this?"

Akimichi Miho looked down, but the Hokage could not tell what she was looking at. The darkness that had passed over her eyes was something strange. When she raised her head again, it was not Okuda Keisuke he saw.

It was Akimichi Chōza.

Akimichi Chōza, who could stare down enemy platoons and warlords.

Akimichi Chōza, who maneuvered some of the most fruitful trade deals with international leaders.

Akimichi Chōza, who was a legend in his own right.

"He deserved to know." She stood taller again. One day, she would be a force like her fathers. The Third Hokage observed this and settled. "He needed to know— know that he had parents that loved him, that didn't throw him away."

Hiruzen considered her. To her credit again, she didn't squirm or flinch. She held his eyes.

"You believe that he thought himself unwanted?"

He asked it to provoke her. He knew Naruto dealt with much in his few years of life. However, he needed to understand Akimichi Miho. He needed to know that she could be trusted with such powerful information. As Naruto grew, he would need allies. He would need support that Hiruzen knew he, even as Hokage, would not be able to provide.

He had hoped Naruto's team would give him that, but that plan was not working as smoothly as he'd hoped.

Perhaps that support would come in time, but Naruto needed anchors just like Genma.

Anchors-people- to maintain loyalty, to draw connection, to build strength.

She measured her words and spoke with confidence. The kind of vehemence that only came from love. Hiruzen watched and listened.

"Lord Hokage, when a person is told they are trash or a demon or a loser or unwanted enough, they start to believe it. No matter how bright they are. No matter how much they shine. No matter how desperately they fight not to believe it." She glanced to her left and he followed her eyes to the portrait of the Fourth. "I-I'm young. I don't know anything, but I have to believe that's not what the Fourth wanted."

Hiruzen waited, watching as she continued to look at the portrait.

For a girl that never met the Fourth, she held much faith in him.

Keisuke and Chisato did too.

"I am Naruto's friend. I'll protect him with my life. And if I don't have to make that sacrifice, then I'll support him in whatever ways I can. And when he becomes Hokage someday, I'll be his guard. I'll watch his back so that he can protect the village and make sure that the good of the village is the good of all people that reside within it— from those unborn to those entering their last days."

The Third Hokage's pipe stopped halfway to his lips at the girl's vehement declaration. He detected the subtle censure, but did not react to it. For the good of the village. He saw Genma stand straighter in his peripheral vision. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the edge of the desk. She did not retract. She did not falter.

"It seems, Akimichi Miho…" He raised the pipe to his lips and let the tension rest in the air for a long moment. He could see Genma's concern, hidden carefully behind the steel in his eyes. Good. Good. The girl stood straighter. "It seems that you have inherited the Will of Fire."

Her tension eased just the slightest bit, but he could see her confusion.

"Do you know what the Will of Fire is, child?"

"No, Lord Hokage."

He hummed in thought. "We gain strength by protecting the people we love. The Will of Fire means that you will protect the village at all costs because you love it. As for your knowledge of Naruto's lineage and making that known to him… what's done is done. However, I will charge you with this…"

Genma tensed behind her and Hiruzen waved a hand at him, brushing away his concern. It seemed that Genma thought rather poorly of him and his motivations if he believed his leader so eager to punish good intentions.

Perhaps, that belief was due to his team's orders regarding the Chūnin Exams.

That, unfortunately, was out of his hands.

This, however…

"Akimichi Miho, I charge you with the safeguarding of Naruto's secrets in a way that you were not charged before when you learned of his tenant. You will tell no one of his heritage and you will carefully protect that knowledge until such a time that Naruto and the Hokage make that information public. Should any others learn of his lineage, you will report it directly to me and take any steps necessary to secure that information."

She bowed her head. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

"You are dismissed."

She turned to her teacher. Genma shifted his senbon to the other side of his mouth and rested a hand on her shoulder, guiding her from the office. Before they reached the door, Hiruzen called out and the girl turned.

"If you should figure out any other village secrets, you are ordered to report directly to me, Akimichi Miho. Or there will be severe consequences."

The Akimichi girl turned and bowed fully, formally. He could sense the fear. "Yes, Lord Hokage." He looked to Genma over her bow, impressing upon him with the slightest bit of Intent that his words were law. The girl's knees buckled with even that limited Killing Intent. Genma nodded and bowed formally, holding to the girl's shoulder as they both left.

His office door clicked shut.

* * *

When Genma-sensei left her at the gates of the Akimichi estate, Miho didn't go inside. Instead, she waited until he rounded the corner and turned on her heel. Going home didn't feel right just yet. She had so much more to do. The exams would start in two days' time, which meant that she needed to train. And tomorrow, she needed to meet with Team Ten. They needed to figure out what to do and fast.

The forest training ground was deserted at this time of night. In the clearing, the old tree stump stood as solid as ever, worn down by Lee's kicks and punches. It was almost peaceful out there— the cicadas whirring like sirens in the trees swaying in the breeze overhead.

Her bō was at home, along with most of her equipment. But she didn't need all of that. Not for what she had planned.

Withdrawing a flashlight from her yukata pocket, Miho sat down next to the large stump and leaned against it, withdrawing a scroll— her birth mother's scroll— from her pocket. She sat it down in the grass, holding the light over it. The paper shimmered as it had in the moonlight what seemed like forever ago. The same etchings. Okuda Keisuke's marks, the marks of the Okuda family.

Pulling out a kunai from her pack, Miho drew the tip over the side of her thumb. She pressed the blood to the seal and gasped at the flood of chakra that swelled and collapsed, a strange golden color that flowed outward as the scroll doubled in size and rolled outward. New scrolls appeared, three wide and three deep and three high.

On the scrolls, two symbols:

Akimichi and Okuda mixed among them.

Her mother added her own stuff to this as well. Lips curling into a smile, Miho laughed a bit. After all, the woman was an archivist. Who knew what she held on to? Archivists were notorious pack rats.

Miho held a hand out over the scrolls, eyes closing.

This was their legacy.

A legacy meant for her.

They must've worked so hard for it. They went through their own problems, she was sure. They had their own stories. So many stories that she'd never know. And they would never know her stories or her. They must've been so—

The thought of opening the first scroll made her heart hurt. The symbol for the Okuda was clearly inscribed on the top. She felt sick. Not because they were gone or because she'd already lost what she really never knew she'd had, but because it felt like an affront to her Pa and Mum.

Because it felt like, by holding that scroll in her hands, that she was somehow spitting on her parents. On everything they'd done for her. How dare she do this? What right did she have to do this? To do this alone, without them?

The disappointment in her father's eyes flashed in her mind.

Miho dropped the scroll.

She couldn't even see the scrolls anymore. All of them were a blur as her eyes filled with tears. She pulled her knees up as far as they would go, but they weren't close enough to her chest to provide any comfort. She couldn't hug her knees. Her fat got in the way and her arms were too short. Frustrated and, for the first time, hating that extra weight, Miho kicked her legs out and then cried even harder when they sent the scrolls scattering into the grass.

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

_ "Let me guess, Miho. It 'wasn't a big deal.'"_

She felt it coming— felt it stirring behind her shoulder blades. She could hear it coming— hear the whirring of the cicadas turn to wind.

The wind was howling and screaming. Or maybe she was screaming. Miho couldn't be entirely sure. The pipe, like a blade, but sinking in deeper, and the pain. And the explosions. She could remember hanging there. And the snakes in the village. An old man dying. Naruto, lifeless. Shikamaru, lifeless. Chōji crying. So many dead eyes and the moon— Listening to the rush of rain and the radio playing—

_ I can still hear you sayin'_

_ "You know, one of these times, you're not gonna make it out alive."_

Tetsuya's yell was echoing in her head, screeching metal and winds and cicadas.

_ "You should trust family, Miho, if no one else."_

She pressed her knuckles into her forehead with as much force as she could muster, trying to will away the panic. The Hokage, the Chūnin Exams, her family, her team, the future… It was just too much. All of it was too much. Miho felt herself spiraling out of control, like those winds that killed her.

"Miho, where've you— Miho!"

She felt herself being lifted up and sat onto a large lap. She was pressed to a large, meaty stomach and a warm chest, recognizing the scent of pine trees and smoke. Her father. He patted her head like he did when she was little, from the crown to the ends and again and again and again.

After a long while, the tears stopped and she just felt tired.

He leaned back and pressed hands to either side of her face. "Let me gather up the scrolls and we'll go home, okay?"

Miho nodded, pushing herself up to stand, watching as he assembled the smaller scrolls onto the enlarged main storage scroll. Her heart hurt and her eyes hurt and her chest hurt and she was hungry. So hungry. "I'm sorry, Papa."

"Don't be sorry, sweet bun." He said quietly. And it seemed like the cicadas hushed for him. The clouds moved overhead and cast moonlight onto the clearing. He looked up from where he was kneeling. "Miho, where've you been? We've been worried for hours."

"I—I was with the Hokage and Genma-sensei. I— I left a picture in Naruto's apartment. I hoped— hoped that he would figure it out. He did."

Her father stilled.

"You told Naruto who his parents are?"

Miho nodded. "He deserved to know, Papa. I did it knowing I would get into trouble." Miho felt the panic growing again, pressure building in her chest. "The Hokage—"

She was pulled into his chest again, one large arm braced around her shoulders. "You are very kind, very brave girl. I am proud of you, my daughter."

The tentative control she'd built back up shattered again and she fell into his arms, sobbing. All of it was just too much. The future, the present, the pressure, the failure. She felt him hook an arm underneath her as she kept her face buried into his shoulder as he picked up and sealed the scrolls again. He stood and suddenly, they were in the house.

"Oh, Miho! Sweetheart!"

Her mother's frantic voice made her lift her head. A warm cloth was pressed to her face, drawn under her eyes and over her cheeks and she could feel the cool press of her mother's fingertips under her chin.

"Chōji, sweetie, go get a few cookies and warm them up, alright?"

Miho turned her face to see her brother in the doorway, a chip halfway to his mouth. Her eyes met his and he sat the bag on a side table. "Miho?" His voice sounded choked.

"'m okay, Chōji."

Her father cleared his throat and she looked up to see him shaking his head. Pulling in a quivering breath, Miho looked back at Chōji and tried to ignore the tears building in her eyes. He was trying so valiantly not to cry. She could tell, even from the other side of the kitchen. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and tried.

"I was so scared."

Chōji drew his arm over his eyes and hurried to the cookie jar, drawing out several and situating them on a place. Last she saw of him as her father carried her to the living room was Chōji burying his face in his hands while the cookies started warming in the microwave.

"What happened?" Her mother questioned, sitting down beside them and brushing Miho's mess of curls back out of her face. "I haven't seen you this upset since you were little."

"I got hurt on the mission but everyone's acting like I did it on purpose. We're taking the Chūnin Exams and we're not ready. I didn't want me asking about my birth parents to hurt you and I think it did and I am so sorry. I do trust Chōji and I trust you and I trust my team, but I can't— I don't know— and I was just called to the Hokage because I told Naruto the truth about his parents. Kind-of. I was so scared."

"Oh, sweet bun."

Her mother's hands were on her face, wiping the tears from the swirls on her cheeks and pushing the curls out of her sticky face.

"We're not hurt that you asked. We're more disappointed in ourselves for not talking with you about it before. It was a bit of selfishness on our part. We wanted to protect you from it, somehow." She sat back and took Miho's hands as she was shifted to sit on her father's knee. "And none of us believe you got hurt on purpose, Miho. That would just be foolish."

"I didn't mean to get distracted. I heard Tetsuya yell and—"

"Tetsuya and Koji also have improvements to make. I'm sure Genma has told him that purposeless exclamations in the middle of battle can get someone killed." Her father countered. His eyes tracked to Chōji in the doorway and he gestured for her brother to approach. "As for Chōji, perhaps it is best that he speak for himself."

Chōji approached, setting the plate of cookies down on the coffee table. "I know Miho trusts me. She just doesn't want to see me hurt. And I didn't inspire a lot of confidence just now." Miho shook her head. "We're both going to do better, Miho. I know it."

"As for telling Naruto," her father stopped. He seemed to consider her for a long moment before sighing, some of the grandness of his size seemed to diminish. Miho winced into his arm, preparing for the onslaught. After all, she'd been called to the Hokage for this. "I am so proud of you."

"Proud of…" Miho stared at her father with wide eyes.

"Yes, proud. Of you." He seemed to collect himself and he sat straighter. "It was forbidden for any of the older generations to tell him. To tell him anything. You have given him something priceless and I am so proud of you. I have been proud of you since that day in the alley."

"But I was summoned to the Hokage for—"

Her father shook his head. "The Hokage worries constantly for the younger generations, especially Naruto."

She wasn't sure how much she believed that considering that her team was now participating in the Chūnin Exams, but Miho nodded nonetheless. To doubt the Hokage outright was to be disloyal. She had to maintain the façade of clueless innocence, despite knowing how a military dictatorship worked. Her father was clearly saying what _had_ to be said if an ANBU were listening in on the conversation.

"Miho, you are our daughter. We love you. We love you so, so much. And we'll answer any questions you have. We'll support you always." Her father reached a hand out for her brother and he stepped forward. "We are family. You and Chōji are our world."

That evening, she learned more about Akimichi Chisato and Okuda Keisuke. Her father told the stories, like he always did. He told her about the first time her birth parents went on a date and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio threatened Keisuke behind what used to be a noodle shop on Market Street. He told her about how Chisato started doing research on the Okuda family. He told her how much he loved them. How much he missed them.

And how much he believed that she was the perfect mix of Okuda and Akimichi.

How much he believed they would be proud of her.

* * *

"It's coming."

Chōji sat next to her in bed. They shared a large bag of chips between them, staring into the darkness of his room. Her eyes were long adjusted to the dark and she stared at the picture of Team Ten on his bedside table. It'd been hours since they'd gone to bed, but she couldn't sleep and she came to his room, only to find him awake as well. Her eyes were tired and puffy from the crying.

"Shikamaru has a plan, but it's...risky."

"I'm sure Shikamaru has ten or fifteen plans." Miho sighed around a chip. "The only thing making me feel better about the exam is knowing you and your team'll be there."

Her brother nodded and turned to her, cheeks puffed out with chips. "And Lee's team. And Naruto's."

"The latter isn't a good thing. Neither is the former."

The sound of Lee's bones breaking. The snakes. The screams.

As if Chōji knew what she was seeing and hearing, he scooted closer and sat the bag of chips to his side, leaning into her arm. They stayed like that for a long, long while. Until the clock was blurry.

The silence held between them, tense and taught.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

**A/N:** Posting this now because life is about to get very hectic and I probably won't have the opportunity to post for a couple weeks. I'm moving! I'm very excited about this new opportunity. That being said, in the meantime, please leave me your thoughts.

Thank you so, so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Each review lights up my day and makes me smile and I am so encouraged by the engagement this story is receiving. Thank you for taking the time to read and engage with "Bear The Weight"!


	12. Part I: Kairos

There was a determined set to Shikamaru's shoulders. It was the first thing she noticed when he entered the hallway with Ino and Chōji by his side. Miho thought he looked different somehow, eyes sharp and focused. Even just up until a few weeks ago, he always looked half-asleep. For a vague moment, Miho regretted that he couldn't stay that way. He couldn't remain the Shikamaru of her memories, or even of the Images. He had to change. They all did.

Ino's eyes found her first and she took the shortest path over, through a mass of other genin attempting to argue their way through an illusion. It was Tetsuya that had pointed it out, sitting back out of the way to watch the happenings as if it were a film. Miho had idly handed him a bag of chips, smiling as he dug into them.

"Glad you're okay." Ino's arms went around her neck and Miho smiled into her shoulder. Ino'd changed her usual outfit to something more all-terrain with thicker material and more storage. It seemed Ino was, once again, battening down the hatches. Miho didn't expect anything less. After all, Ino had been preparing for this for years. "I nearly wrang Koji's neck when he told us."

"Why? Koji didn't do anything."

"Because she's a harpy and didn't get why I said anything!" Koji retorted before Ino could respond. He shot her a dark look from where he sat along the wall. "I told you 'cause you're, like, her best friend or whatever! Figured you'd wanna know."

"If Miho chose to tell me, then she decides that, you idiot! You're her teammate and you went on a book tour about her injury!"

Shikamaru and Chōji finally arrived, eyeing the genjutsu with tired expressions. Her eyes found Shikamaru's and she lifted her brows. In answer, he nodded just slightly. Soon, they knew, Naruto and Team Seven would arrive. In the Images, it'd been clear. She expected that was when the Plan "started." In the meantime, they'd have to wait.

She fished around in her pack, withdrawing a scroll. She sat it in Chōji's outstretched hand, watching as he furtively dropped it into his own bag.

At Tetsuya's raised brow, Miho smiled. "Food scroll." Tetsuya and Koji fell into comfortable conversation with Ino and Chōji, who were purposefully drawing attention away from Shikamaru and Miho to give them a moment.

Shikamaru leaned on the wall next to where she sat, eyes on the crowd. "As soon as the troublesome part starts, open it. Issue the warning and take the punishment."

Piecing it together, Miho nodded. That solved more than one problem. It wouldn't quite answer _everything_, but it was a solid start. If a genin team opened one of the scrolls in the Forest of Death, then a shinobi would be summoned and render everyone unconscious. It made sense for her team to be the one disqualified because of it. They weren't supposed to be part of this anyway.

"Ino will give you the rest."

Nodding, Miho nodded and looked up at him. She could see how much was resting on his shoulders. A thirteen-year-old guy who didn't want any of this. Who was in such a sickening position. Who knew that if he screwed up, then it would be his father's life on the line, along with everyone else he cared for. His eyes cut down to her and he shrugged, rolling his shoulders as he sighed.

He was resigned to all this.

"Don't be a drag."

"I'm not. I'm just…sorry."

He turned to face her fully, the put-on exhaustion leaving for a few scant moments. "It's this or _the other._ We're not going to let the other happen." She wished she had that kind of confidence. And there must've been something about her expression that made his harden. "We have a chance."

Miho sighed, watching as Lee was shoved back by the genjutsu, or the wielders of the genjutsu. She was on her feet in an instant, moving to the front of the crowd. Shikamaru didn't move with her, staying back to watch the "troublesome" situation from afar.

"Maybe it'd be best if you runts quit."

"You're green-assed brats, after all."

Kneeling down at Lee's side, she touched a hand to his arm. The two bullies were being especially_ loud_ about it, very obviously putting on a performance. Lee didn't even turn to acknowledge her, staring at the bullies with a frown. A girl she recognized from Lee's descriptions stood from his other side, politely asking that the two bullies let people through. She took a blow to the face not second later.

Miho leaned into Lee's ear, voice low. "It's a genjutsu."

He turned and shot her a grin before the disappointed and determined mask fell back into place. He _knew_ it was a genjutsu. He was just playing the fool.

Mouth opening, Miho shook her head and settled onto her haunches. She glanced up at to the right to see Hyuuga Neji staring at the two, fists clenched. If Lee sensed it, then Neji did as well. This was all a performance. Shaking her head again, Miho leaned over to Lee once more.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Trust me, my friend."

"— have business on the third floor."

It seemed Uchiha Sasuke had not caught on to the game.

Miho sighed, pushing herself up to stand. The longer she sat like that, the more her legs tingled. Her hands pressed over the front of her yukata top, smoothing out the wrinkles over her rolls. She tipped the toe of her shoe under Lee's thigh then turned to see her team paying attention to the exchange. She jerked her head.

They followed her to the stairs, leaving what sounded like some excitement behind them.

Room 301 was filled to the brim with chūnin hopefuls. Some young, some old. The age range was honestly far more diverse than Miho had been expecting with the way that Genma-sensei had described the demographics. She cut her eyes to the left and then the right, finding Team Ten tucked in the corner. Chōji was calorie-loading while Shikamaru sat on the ground, resting.

"Lotta folks here, huh?" Koji questioned, already turning to walk toward where the only familiar team stood. Tetsuya was wide-eyed, but still trying to puff himself up to look taller.

"Chubs, there's no way we can—"

Miho shushed him, meaningfully glancing toward the crowd. "Let's not count chickens."

"They don't look like chickens. They look like badasses."

"Did Sakura see the stuff downstairs?" Ino questioned, crossing her arms. "She's been really nervous about this."

"Has every right to be nervous," Koji returned with a scoff. "Look at these guys." He jerked his head toward a group of rough-looking Kusa teens. "I think she saw it though. They'll probably be up sooner or later."

"Sooner would be better than later." Miho sighed, shooting Ino a look. "Darn it, there's Kiba. I better—" Ino laughed outright as her friend scrambled to grab the back of Koji and Tetsuya's shirts. "Don't you_ dare_ start something with that loudmouth! This isn't the _time_ or the_ place_."

"We won't start somethin' if he don't start somethin'." Koji retorted, crossing his arms. "But if he shoots his mouth off— at you—again, I don' care if we get disqualified— I'm deckin' him." Then, a cruelly-colored smirk dawned on his face and Miho felt her hackles rise. Koji was vicious with grudges and he _really_ didn't like Kiba. "Genma-sensei would be down for it. I know."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. He was right though. Genma-sensei _would_ support it.

"Yeah, and I'll hold off his team when you do it. Genma-sensei was proud of us last time." Miho resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. Tetsuya nodded, eyes shut as if this were some kind of sage advice rather than a stupid plan. "I'm sure I can take the Aburame."

"You can't take on Shino." Miho scoffed, distracted by the claim. "I _guarantee_ you."

Even Shikamaru smirked at Tetsuya's affronted expression.

"What the hell, Chubs? We're supposed to be teammates!"

"What? Teammates tell it like it is!"

Tetsuya looked to Koji for some kind of support, but only received a shrug as their teammate continued to stare Kiba down from across the room.

"Did Kiba do something, Miho?" Chōji questioned around a handful of chips. His eyes were shut as he savored the flavor, but she could feel the intensity of that question. Beside her, Ino fell into hysterics, holding her sides. Chōji's eyes opened and he stopped eating. "What'd he do?"

"Noth—"

"Called her a 'fatass tub of lard' among other things."

"Called her a '_useless_ fatass tub of lard' to be more accurate."

Miho's hand whipped out so fast, one might've thought she took off her weights. Tetsuya squawked, flailing into Koji as they both toppled. The movement caught the attention of a few teams nearby, but she ignored them. Her heel stomped as she towered over her nonplussed teammates.

"Stop holding grudges over it! That was ages ago and it doesn't even bother me!"

"It was_ three weeks_ ago!"

"You didn't tell me he said _that_!" Ino barked. "You just said they were posturing."

"He called you _what_?"

Miho winced and turned.

"Now is so not the time for you all to get protective. Do I look bothered by it?"

"They're here."

Miho sighed, slumping against the wall as Team Seven entered the room. She sent Shikamaru a thankful look, earning one of his signature long-suffering stares in return. His hands dipped into his pockets and his shoulders curved forward.

"Yo! Miho, you're here too!" Naruto approached, throwing up a hand in greeting. She knew he wouldn't bring itup here in mixed company, but when he threw his arms around her as far as they would go, she knew he was putting every emotion he could into it. He braced his forearm at her shoulders, dragging her down to his height. In that hug was everything he couldn't say in present company. "I was hopin' Team Five would get to kick ass with us!"

"Team Ten is here too, ya know." Ino slapped at his arm. He wailed dramatically, pulling away and giving her a pathetic look. She sniffed, raising her chin. "And we'll kick ass more than Seven or Five."

"Don't make such troublesome statements." Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes.

Chōji was back to eating chips with a bit more vigor than before. But Miho knew _that_ kind of rapid eating. He only ate that fast when he was angry. Her brother liked to savor flavors and let the seasoning sit on his tongue. Instead, he was scarfing the chips down with abandon. Her brother was angry and when his eyes opened to see Kiba's approaching figure, Miho patted Naruto's shoulder and moved toward where Chōji was standing.

"I know you're mad, but let it go."

His eyes opened again and they were sharp like kunai. Even Shikamaru tensed, sensing the difference in how her brother was holding himself. Every so often, her brother dropped_ all_ of his masks. It was during those moments that got a view of the man he would become. The fierce protector that lurked underneath. He took a single step forward and Miho gripped his arm in warning.

"Don't."

"Found y'all! Well, well. Looks like everyone's here!"

Miho tightened her hold on Chōji's arm. The muscle was taught, even as if moved chips to his mouth. Ignoring Kiba's ribbing, she turned to her team and caught their eyes, jerking her head toward the desks. If she could make a quick exit before things got tense or before—

"All twelve genin rookies are taking the exam, huh? Now then, how far do you think we can go? Eh, Sasuke?"

Rolling her eyes, Miho released Chōji's arm with a pat and moved to where Koji and Tetsuya were still leaning against the wall. "There's a lot of testosterone in here. You fellas wanna prove somethin' too?" Miho smiled at their irritated huffs. Koji made a show of flexing his muscles, earning a snicker from Tetsuya. She heard Ino snicker, too. "No? You're my favorite team."

"We're _your_ team. If your favorite was someone else, we'd need to have a team meeting."

"I dunno. She likes Team Ten a lot…"

"Too much."

Koji glared, crossing his arms.

_There he is. Snake in the grass._

Ino's voice startled Miho and she jumped, looking wildly around until her eyes settled on Ino's face. Eyes closed as she leaned against the wall to her left. She had no idea Ino had mastered this technique yet! Her sideswept bangs hid the intense tilt of her brows.

_Let Shikamaru handle this guy. We've got other things to talk about. Other than the fact that we're _talking _about Kiba's insults after all this is over._

Miho deflated, watching as Shikamaru took over the conversation with Kabuto. He steered it into useless territory like a master, taking the guy in circles.

"Is the Chūnin Exam that high of a hurdle? Man, this is utterly bothersome."

_It's the second test that's the big problem. Shikamaru thinks the biggest issue is letting the Hokage know about Orochimaru as quickly as possible. Thing is: you're gonna have to sell it._

_I can sell it._

Miho watched as Kabuto filed through his information on Lee and Gaara. The idea of that creep having information on either made her uncomfortable and that discomfort translated into a grimace, which caught Koji's eye. Kabuto was an unsettling guy. Even from what she remembered: she hated him. Using people for his advantage with basically no purpose. Knowing that he knew so much about Lee and Gaara…

And what was coming for Gaara in a few years' time.

_The boys definitely noticed that you remembered more about him than anyone else aside from Naruto._

With as much self-control as she possessed, Miho didn't turn to look at the team from Suna. Instead, she reached over and flicked Ino's ear. Her friend twitched but maintained her mental connection.

_It was kinda hard not to notice._

"Maybe we should go find some seats."

Miho nodded, glancing to Chōji, who moved to take her spot by Ino while her friend was occupied. She rested a hand on his arm, meeting his eyes for a long moment. She moved to press her forehead against his, one of the more traditional Akimichi gestures. She felt him press back. "I love you, brother. Be careful, okay?" She moved away and he smiled, nodding as he raised a fist for her to bump.

"Good luck, Miho. Love you."

"C'mon, Chubs."

_Wait one hour into the second exam. Open the scroll and alert the responding jōnin. Good luck, Miho. Be careful, okay?_

She felt Ino leave her mind, like water flowing out of a funnel. When she glanced back at the gathered group, Ino sent her a wink, a determined expression settling over sharp features. She could see Naruto's frustration building, mounting and mounting just like it did in the Images. Seeing this, she saw Shikamaru deflate.

Some things were just impossible to stop.

They found some seats along the back, just behind Lee's team. They were the only group of rookies to separate from the rest, drawing a little attention for exiting the fray. Lee turned around a bit to look her over, eyes checking to make sure she was okay. She held his gaze for a long moment, flicking her eyes toward his teammates with a meaningful nod.

After all, _he_ knew _her_ teammates.

Even if it was because Koji liked to gossip.

"Neji, Tenten, this is Akimichi Miho. One of my dearest friends. I have been training with her since we were very young." Tenten turned while Neji's attention remained on the building tension on the other side of the room.

"Lee's mentioned you before. He said you're fast."

Neji's eyes finally turned to her at that, attention drifting down at then up to her face again. He didn't scoff, but he did turn back to the entertainment without a word. Koji noticed, bristling at her side like cat dropped in water. Tetsuya looked like he was gauging his chances. Miho sent Lee a bland expression, seeing the apology written in his eyes. It didn't bother her. On the one hand, people often underestimated her and, on the other, Neji underestimated everyone. She turned back to Tenten.

"Not nearly as fast as Lee. He's mentioned your weaponry skills! I use bōjutsu. It's honestly nice to meet someone else who appreciates weapons. I was hoping to train in naginata next." Part of her wanted to mention that her teammates were both weapon-wielders as well, but she knew that was best information kept close to the chest. Lee knew though. Tenten's eyes lit up in excitement. "I hope we get the chance to spar sometime."

"Same! I bet it's—"

"MY NAME'S UZUMAKI NARUTO! I WON'T LOSE TO ANY OF YOU! GOT IT?"

"Is he…an idiot?" She heard Tenten murmur to Lee. Miho watched as a ripple of indignant disbelief surged over the crowd. A bit of pride made her sit a bit straighter, watching as Naruto held his fist high. That was her Hokage, after all. Some day. Eventually.

"Oh, man…" Koji laughed a bit at her side. "Naruto's kickin' a bee hive."

"He's mighty high-spirited."

"Naruto's spirit burns bright." Lee grinned, throwing her a thumbs-up over his shoulder.

_Think we can remove one problem from the equation?For now, at least?_

Her attention jerked over to where Ino was still standing against the wall, arms now crossed and eyes closed. Chōji stood slightly in front of her, eyes narrowed into slits and chip bag put away. He was tensed, tight as a bowstring. Shikamaru leaned on the wall just beside her. She could barely see him behind Chōji's mass. What in the—

_Does Shikamaru have a plan for Kabuto?_

Ino's laugh was like bells in her head. _Ah, you know Nara. He's got a plan for everything. _She saw an image in her mind and she felt her eyes slide closed, even as chaos erupted with the attack of the Oto team.

Somehow, the attack— which previously only broke his glasses and made him puke in the original Images— was doubled in force. Kabuto was thrown into the wall. His head struck the concrete wall and he slumped into unconsciousness. Naruto and Sakura ran to his side, just like before, shaking him as if he would wake. Miho felt the corners of her lips tick upward before she schooled it away.

Well, that was certainly different.

_Whoops._

Her eyes cut back over to where Chōji was now devouring a bag of barbecue chips, a pleased smile on his face as her gaze met Shikamaru's. He separated his hands and stuck them in his pockets, shrugging his shoulders.

The self-satisfied smirk on his lips made her smile outright.

_You have the coolest teammates, Ino._

_I knew we were your favorite team._

Ino melted from her mind again and her friend's head rose across the room.

"What the hell is all this?" Tetsuya questioned beside her. "Seriously, is it always this dramatic? Can't we all just get field promotions and be done with it? Seriously." Koji laughed, jabbing his elbow into Tetsuya's stomach. "Man."

"Get a bunch of drama queen ninja in one room—whaddya think's gonna happen, huh?"

Genma-sensei had said as much during their meeting. He'd lamented (as much as their teacher could lament) that the Chūnin Exams were a hotbed for ridiculous schticks and complexes. He'd forbade any monologuing or pot-stirring, even taking the senbon out of his mouth to deliver the warning. He'd be watching, after all. Her eyes scanned the room, finding four cameras.

"Think we should wave to Genma-sensei?"

Koji grinned, kicking back in his seat and putting a senbon in his mouth. Knowing him, he'd probably noticed the cameras as soon as they entered the room. Miho smiled at him, watching as Tetsuya held up a peace sign to the closest camera. She could imagine their teacher's reaction. Miho nodded to the camera, shrugging at the boy's actions. _What can you do, Boss Man?_

Then, the exam began.

* * *

Genma loved his kids.

He was resigned to it at this point. Only a few months into this whole teacher thing and he really couldn't help his fate. He wouldn't have called it a "slow descent;" it was certainly a "fall" of some kind. When he saw Koji mimicking his mannerisms, Tetsuya grinning like a loon, and Miho's shrug, Genma held back a smile. They definitely weren't going to pass this exam, but they were hamming it up regardless.

"You've definitely brainwashed them."

"Just because your kids are lame doesn't mean you get to rag on my kids, Hatake."

He watched as the kids were mixed up among the crowd, no two teammates sat next to one another. He barely withheld a scowl when Miho ended up next to the Inuzuka brat. Kurenai shot him a look, grimacing at the amused look on the dog boy's face as he poked her most prominent roll. Miho just stared at him.

Genma was pretty convinced that it would eventually come to blows.

Miho was going to deck this kid into submission at some point when her seemingly endless patience wore out.

He wanted to be there to cheer when she put his face in the dirt.

Asuma scoffed around his cigarette. "Lame? Did you see Uzumaki's declaration? You know Uchiha was the highest ranked in his year."

Genma sent Asuma a deadpan look. He knew Asuma didn't care about ranking. That was bullshit. Ranking meant jack shit at the Academy. All their scores were biased in some way. Even Tetsuya scored high in practical when he was probably middling. His grandmother's political pull at work. Scores were no indication of potential. Ever.

"Case in point." Kurenai laughed. It was a bit amusing to see Kakashi's head dip a bit. "Though, it takes some serious determination to shout something like that in front of so many people."

"Number one most unpredictable…" Kakashi murmured, settling back on the couch.

Genma watched the screen, waiting to see what his kids did with the exam. He'd led them through these kinds of exercises before and he was more-than-confident that Tetsuya would manage cheating just fine. He was, after all, his grandmother's descendant. Sure enough, Tetsuya sat his sword on the table, as if the weight were awkward on his back. He angled it in just the right way to see the inverted answers from the paper below him. Huffing a laugh at the obvious action, Genma sat back and observed as his kid lost two points, but got the work done.

Koji was a bit more surreptitious. The kid had been covert for most of his life, hiding his true origin in a long "undercover mission." He was also stealing all of the answers off Gai's green-clad student, who was using his teammate's mirrors. Someone else was doing all the work for him, but shinobi were meant to use all the resources available.

While the Inuzuka's dog told him the answers, Miho's hand was moving swiftly across the page. She was selling it, but Genma knew better. Miho was smart, sure, but not smart enough to know all of the answers on that test. After a while, she sighed and sat back, withdrawing a bag of chips. Anyone less of observant might've missed the shadow receding under the desk behind her.

"Your kid is helping my kid." Genma told Asuma.

Asuma, despite his obvious effort to seem unaffected, did sit forward and stare at the screen. The Nara leaned forward and laid his head on the table, seeming to fall asleep right there in the middle of the exam. If you weren't looking for it, an observer might've missed the slight smirk on his face before he hid it in his arms.

"Huh. I thought he was a complete layabout, but— He's been very motivated for the past month. Hell, my whole team is gung-ho. It's weird. They practically never stop training. It's wild."

"Kids being motivated is weird?" Kurenai questioned.

Considering who she had on her team, she would think that anything less than capital-D Dedication was strange.

"Nah, it's just… from what I heard, Shikamaru was never the kind to help out someone else unless he had to. Preferred sleepin' and resting and all that. Laying about, with Chōji." Asuma let out a puff of smoke, casually shrugging his shoulders. "Then, it's like a switch was flipped the day after I got 'em."

Genma cut him a look at the tone. Something was off.

Swirling the senbon between his teeth, he watched Ibiki put on a show.

"Here is the tenth question!"

Hearing the proposition, Genma waited to see what his kids would do. They knew they weren't really ready for this. The prospect of never taking the exams again if they failed the question was something he'd only hinted at, not wanting to advantage his team above others. Miho turned slightly, chip halfway to her mouth as she looked to Koji first.

Koji grimaced, shaking his head. His eyes tracked to Tetsuya, who signaled that they remain in place.

Miho nodded, tension obviously easing as she turned around again. She'd wanted to stay, it seemed.

Kids filtered out, team by team.

He watched as Miho's eyes turned to watch Naruto, who slammed his hand down on the desk. Despite the blond being the center of attention, Genma watched his student's reaction. Her smile was so big that her eyes closed.

"Don't underestimate me! I won't run! I'll take it. But even if I'm stuck being a genin forever, I will become Hokage no matter what it takes!"

She withdrew a few cookies, holding them in both hands as she ate, eyes flickering to the windows every few moments. Genma sat forward in his seat, angling on the edge of it as Ibiki dramatically wrapped the first exam. Something was off. Miho was paying more attention to the window than the exam proctor, which was very out of character for her.

His brows pulled together.

What—

The window that Miho was glancing at shattered and Anko appeared, in all her usual glory. Genma shook his head, adjusting the senbon between his lips. Miho beamed around her cookie, throwing a glance back at the Yamanaka and then her brother and the Nara.

Not her teammates.

Strange.

That was strange. Pair that with the fact that the Nara had helped her in the exam, Genma shifted the senbon between his lips, eyes narrowing on his female student. Something was up. Miho's grin became even more pronounced as the second proctor posed.

"Oh boy." Asuma muttered, palming his face.

Genma couldn't help but to agree.

It almost looked like his one female student was about to start _clapping_ for Mitarashi Anko.

And Genma, for the first time in his life, thought he was_ too old for this._

* * *

This was not the plan. Miho threw herself to the side, crouching in front of Koji who was groaning in pain on his side. He was bleeding, but she wasn't sure how or why. It all happened so fast. Tetsuya was about twenty feet away, in a fierce hand-to-hand battle with some nin from Kusa. Other than the fact that the girl's hair was red, Miho could barely process anything more than that as they battled. She couldn't remember much about the Forest of Death other than Orochimaru's attack on Team Seven.

And that wasn't working to her advantage in the slightest.

It was already Day Two and this would be the third attack they'd fought off. They showed the wear and tear of it. Her clothes were a mess. Tetsuya was sporting a black eye from some Suna jerk. And Koji had a sprained ankle. But they'd made it this far and they'd repelled every attack against them.

Apparently, her weight made the other teams think they were easy prey.

They learned.

"You're not getting our scroll."

She needed that scroll so she could open it and alert the Hokage that Orochimaru was in the forest. And that time was quickly approaching. There was no way she was giving up that scroll so easily, not even if this Kusa team wanted to kill her for it. She'd kill them first.

"C'mon, fatass. It's not like you'll be getting an Earth scroll anyway. Just hand it over and go back to your snacks."

"Son of a bitch." Koji hissed, rolling up from his side to his knees. She adjusted her hold on her staff, preparing for the two guys to start attacking before her teammate got off the ground.

Sure enough, the green-haired teen approached first— throwing a kunai as he moved. She blocked with a swirl of her bō, jabbing it into his stomach with a quick block of the other's attack with the other end of her staff as he came at her from behind.

"Back off. Don't wanna have to hurt you."

"Hurt us? You're really gonna get it!"

Miho saw his determination and then saw an opportunity— for a cover story. She smiled sweetly, using the staff to propel her back from the two Kusa nin, to the edge of a clearing. If they followed, then…maybe she could concoct some sort of story to sell Orochimaru's presence. Winking, Miho looked to the clone of Koji nearby. Miho could sense her teammate overhead, hidden in the low-hanging branches.

"I'll handle these two. Help Tetsuya when you're ready. I'll be over here…for reasons."

Her expansion jutsu needed space.

She darted out into the open, sealing her bō into her armor once more before flying through a series of seals. She felt her chakra burn and writhe, pulling from her fat and searing its way through her limbs.

"Even your teammates think you're useless, letting you go off on your own!"

Miho turned and rolled her eyes, planting her feet in the grass. Her heels dug in and she felt the chakra release as it build and coiled. "They let me _go off on my own_ because they know I can handle it, handle YOU!" Finishing the sequence of handseals, she pumped the extra calories into her legs. Rather than expand, they burned gold as the lactic acid built and burned.

An Akimichi technique for endurance fighters. She darted forward. Only one was able to catch her hit. The other fell to the ground, unconscious. Sweeping his leg out, the green-haired boy knocked her knees out from under her. Miho fell into a roll, catching her forehead on a rock as she moved, twisting and expanding her body as she moved. She grabbed an outcropped rock and swung around, throwing herself bodily into the guy. He yelped and struck a nearby tree, breaking it in half.

Releasing the jutsu, she let out a startled breath as her knees shook. She'd never done that sequence in practice before, but…desperate times.

The bodies lay still, both unconscious, and Miho withdrew the Heaven scroll from the green-haired boy's pack. He wouldn't be comfortable when he woke up and Miho took an extra moment to lay him flat rather than back-breakingly slung against the broken tree.

Working up the character, Miho forced her face to pull into a frantic and terrified expression. She pulled absolute and all-consuming fear into her stomach and she threw herself, stumbling toward where she knew her teammates to be. One terrified breath, another.

Reaching up, she tore her hair from where it was held up in ponytail. Her curls fell into her face, matted with sweat and blood. She let the underbrush tear at her skin as she moved, hurrying toward the clearing where she knew her teammates were waiting.

When she finally fell between the trees, she forced herself to be breathless. She purposefully stumbled on a tree root.

"Miho! Miho! You alright?"

"Chubs!"

"We need to open this. We need to— Guys, this is bad. I don't—"

"Calm down. Miho, calm down. We need to_ what?_"

Miho sucked in a deep breath, catching her hands on her knees. Real, very real, fear lanced through her. Orochimaru could already be attacking Team Seven at that moment. Naruto could be in danger, again. Or it could be Chōji and Ino and Shikamaru. Or Lee and his team. She needed to do this fast. She didn't have time.

"Orochimaru is...in the forest."

Tetsuya's eyes went wide, mouth falling open. "Whaddya mean he's-?"

"The sannin? Here? He's a missing-"

They watched her hands hold out the scroll. "We have to tell someone. We can't make it to the tower first. Guys, please-" It was Tetsuya that nodded after the briefest moment of conflict. Koji looked her over, fear falling like a shroud of his face before he nodded, too. Though she felt terrible for lying to them, it needed to happen. She had to do this. She had to.

Grabbing one side of the scroll, she threw it open and chucked it into the grass. "I— I'm sorry, guys."

She didn't recognize the man that appeared— sunglasses and a slightly askew headband— but she held up both hands as he started to move. "Orochimaru is in the forest!" He stopped, hand poised to strike, staring her down from behind his glasses. She could feel the wave of Killing Intent that made her knees buckle a bit. "Tell—Tell the Hokage! Please, tell the Hokage." The jōnin, because he had to be a jōnin, seemed to stop breathing. His attention focused solely on her, no doubt eyeing her roughed-up state. Silently thanking every force of good out there, Miho stumbled toward him. "He's in the forest."

"In the forest? You saw an S-rank missing nin in this forest and you survived it?"

Miho nodded. "I wasn't worth the effort. It was him. It was!"

The jōnin's eyes flickered to her teammates, who were both nonplussed, obviously confused, and fearful. She'd have to tell them something eventually, but, at the moment, the boys looked concerned that she'd 'encountered' such a huge threat.

"Who's your teacher?"

"Shiranui Genma."

His face betrayed nothing, no recognition or emotion. Miho felt her stomach turn when the jōnin appeared behind her teammates, slamming his hands into the back of their skulls. The boys crumpled to the ground and Miho tried to school away her shaking. She tried to stand strong in the face of what she knew was coming.

He disappeared and she felt him behind her.

"We'll check on it."

The world went black.

* * *

Kakashi seriously thought that Genma's students were weird. Honestly. They were a bunch of little Mini Me nerds that for some reason seemed to idolize Genma. Genma, of all people. Genma, who was arguably one of the most boring people he knew. Then again, Genma was on a team with Gai. Most people seemed boring by comparison. Still.

He thought they were even weirder when they were dropped in the main tower's holding room by Yamashiro Aoba. Well, to put it more accurately, the boys were dropped like two sacks of potatoes. The Akimichi girl was set down like some kind of heavyweight china doll.

Genma rushed toward them, worry very clear on his face. The guy was former ANBU, but seemed to be much more of a doting teacher.

The former badass knelt down, hand tracing over a wound to the Big Guy's gut. A superficial kunai wound, likely from some kind of close-range fight. The Utatane heir was also a little worse for wear, dirty and bloodied. His clothes were soaked through and bloodied, from less recent battles. Then, Genma's fingers pressed to a few cuts and bruises on the Akimichi. The girl had a large cut on her forehead, which painted half of her face red.

Genma was an S-rank assassin.

Genma was an S-rank assassin who loved his students more than anything.

That much was clear.

"What happened?"

"Your girl said Orochimaru's in the forest."

Kakashi felt his heart stop, eyes flashing over to where the other jōnin teachers were sitting. They rose from their seats, approaching. Genma seemed to choke on nothing.

"She what? Did she encounter him?"

"He said she wasn't worth the effort."

Kakashi vaguely wondered if Genma had the ability to kill Orochimaru. Probably not alone. Genma was one hell of a fighter, but he couldn't go head-to-head with a Sannin. For his part, Kakashi settled himself into mission mode.

"Genma, Asuma, Kurenai— let's go. Ibiki, alert the Hokage."

"Aoba, take care of my kids." Genma settled a hand on his buddy's arm before turning, battle-ready. Aoba nodded, moving to lay them out a bit more neatly. He turned, flicking open his holster of needles, settling them into his palms. "How'd that son of a bitch get into the village?"

"Are we sure the girl wasn't lying? I mean, she could've just opened the scroll and—" Asuma was cut off by a senbon piercing the wall by his head, just a hair from his nose. Kakashi would've laughed at his expression, if the situation weren't dire. Genma's expression was thunderous. "Fine, fine. So then—"

Kakashi stopped, brows pulling together in thought. Asuma had a point. They knew nothing about what they might be approaching. He turned to Aoba, who was still kneeling over the kids. "Aoba. Do it."

Aoba, good guy that he was, seemed shocked for all of a few moments before shaking his head. "She's just a genin. We don't even know—"

"Do it."

Genma's mouth opened as if to protest, but he instead closed his lips over the senbon and then withdrew it. His eyes had hardened to reveal the infamous Red Rain, the internationally-known assassin and killer. "Do it, Aoba. I trust you to protect her. After all, I was gonna ask you to teach her eventually."

That seemed to surprise Aoba, who immediately pressed his hand to the girl's forehead. His eyes slid closed behind the sunglasses. Kakashi shifted, waiting. Aoba had the ability to read minds. One of the best in the village and one of the topmost ranked members of Torture and Interrogation. If anyone could pick through a pre-teen's mind in a tactful way, it would be Aoba.

To do this to a young genin was taking extreme measures, but the girl was unconscious and she was obviously trying to warn them. They couldn't wait for her to awaken.

Aoba came to a moment later, frantically scanning the room, whipping his head this way and that. Checking entrances and exits. Genma tensed beside them, noticing the expression on his friend's face. Battle-ready. After a few moments, Aoba seemed settle, looking down at the Akimichi with his mouth opened as if he didn't know what to say.

Her eyes opened and she immediately sat up, staring at the man next to her with wide eyes. She looked as if she'd awakened from a nightmare. Her entire large Akimichi frame was shaking as she gulped in huge breaths. Genma shifted next to him, looking like he wanted to run to his student's side again.

"Miho."

She didn't turn to her teacher. Instead, she kept her eyes on Aoba. It was as if she didn't even hear Genma's voice.

"Aoba. C'mon, man."

Kakashi waited, watching as Aoba continued to stare down at the Akimichi. She stared back up at him. Any other person might've gotten uncomfortable under Aoba's gaze. The guy liked to pick people apart, deduce all he could about them, figure them out. He called it "intuition" and it was annoying as all hell. And it was disturbing when he did it. The girl shifted and winced, pressing a hand to the wound on her head. He wondered if Orochimaru's attack had been worse than they thought.

"He's-He's here. He is." The girl's voice was brittle as she seemed to panic, still staring at Aoba. His inaction was stalling and she sensed it. "Do something. Please."

Finally, Aoba looked up and stood.

"Orochimaru plans to attack Team Seven. He wants the Uchiha's eyes."

Kakashi moved before hearing the rest of what Aoba had to say.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so I am hiding from packing. Anything I can do to avoid packing. I sincerely appreciate all the well-wishes with my move! I'm super excited about it!

Thank you all for your lovely support of this story. Things are about to go off-the-rails real quick! Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I would love to hear your thoughts!


	13. Part I: Cacophony

"Team Ten, come with me."

Yamanaka Ino startled, looking to a man that stood at the end of the hallway. Even in the dimness of that hall, he wore sunglasses. And, though his stance was relaxed and at-ease, she could hear the firm order in his tone. Ino turned and looked to her teammates.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, tucking his hands into his pockets. Chōji downed the rest of his chips in one go, replenishing his calories. Then, to show he understood the seriousness of the order, he put the chip bag away.

"Do you mind if I ask who you are, jōnin, sir?"

"Yamashiro Aoba. I'm…a teacher… of Akimichi Miho. Or, I will be. One of them anyway. She's got several. This is important." He stepped back and held the door open, jerking his head toward the inside. "It involves the moon, big fluffy things, and…a pretty wild story."

Ino moved without thought, feeling her heart pulsing in her ears. She could barely breath with what he was implying and, when she stepped past him into the cool, cool air of a team barrack, she felt the air get caught in her throat.

Miho hurried to her feet, rushing around the bed to throw herself at Ino. She was careful not to throw all of her weight, like usual, but still, Miho's hug was fierce and filled with _a lot_ of fear. Ino knew her friend, still better than anyone else, and she knew that Miho normally kept her fears in check. Whatever had happened, rattled her.

And injured her, if the cuts and bruises were anything to go by.

And that made Ino want to break things.

"What's this all about?" She heard Shikamaru ask as Miho pulled away to move to her brother, who embraced her with a protective fierceness that was communicated through the stare he sent Ino over his sister's shoulder.

Shikamaru had placed himself between them and the jōnin.

For all his want to be lazy, her teammate was protective to a fault.

"You know."

Ino held her breath. Shikamaru's tone was definitive.

"Yeah, kid." The jōnin— Yamashiro Aoba, he said— nodded and leaned against the wall. "I know."

"He read my mind." Miho supplied, looking between Aoba and Shikamaru as she stepped forward. Ino was trying to read the emotions. Miho wasn't afraid of _him._ She almost seemed grateful, nodding toward him to emphasis particular words. "He knocked me unconscious after I opened the scroll and then read my mind to get access to my memories of Orochimaru. So they could find him."

Shikamaru groaned, palming his forehead.

"Saw a lot more than I bargained for. Didn't really expect to see a squad new genin committing treason. It's bold. He held up a hand as if trying to block their explanations. Ino's argument burned her throat. "Withholding information from the leader of the village is _treason,_ kids. Let's not get it twisted. Treason by omission is still treason."

"We've been working to _stop_ all of that from happening."

"Orochimaru was attacking Team Seven when reinforcements arrived. That particular crisis was averted." Ino felt her mouth open as she turned to Miho, whose eyes were wide with shock. Did he not tell her that already? Had he been waiting for a more dramatic moment to reveal it? Ino bit down a sarcastic remark and shifted her feet. This guy was already annoying. "What exactly were you all planning to do from there? Just _casually mention_ that we're due to be invaded in a month?"

Shikamaru scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I would've overheard a bothersome conversation on a rooftop between Kabuto and Suna's representative."

"Yeah? And telling the Hokage that the Kazekage is _dead_ and his son in a loose cannon jinchuriki?" The jōnin's tone was faintly amused, but with an edge like steel. He gestured toward Miho. "I already know what she thinks. That she'll die for what she knows."

Ino didn't miss the flash in his eyes.

What Miho knew was dangerous. What they _all_ knew was dangerous. The Uchiha Massacre was just one among at least ten S-class secrets. While her friend only remembered highlights and specific character events, she still remembered dangerous things drawn in two-dimensional pictures.

Even if the Hokage was willing to let them live, others certainly wouldn't.

"So, what? Are you going to report us?" Chōji's voice was hard. Like stone. He was angled in front of his sister, as if he could somehow fight off a jōnin. Honestly, Ino wouldn't put it past him to _try._ Chōji wasn't above coming to blows with a jōnin if it meant protecting his people. Particularly Miho.

"We could start with Commander Nara. He wouldn't allow _his only son _to come to harm. He'd figure out a plan to protect the Three. He'd know how to approach it with the Hokage. She only has a finite amount of information. The Hokage won't kill her for something like that."

Ino barely held back a scoff at Shikamaru's disbelieving snort.

This guy was way too naïve to be a shinobi.

She stepped forward, fisting her hands at her sides as Chōji stepped up beside his sister to pull her completely behind his mass. She was still larger than him by a head, so the image was somewhat lessened. The intent wasn't though.

"Hawks are omnivores. Did you know that? Interesting tidbit of information, right?"

The jōnin's eyes went wide behind his glasses. She felt the corners of her lips tip upward, but the amusement didn't meet her eyes.

He got the reference then.

Shimura Danzō, the old war hawk.

She wondered if he recalled the pictures as vividly as she did. Her own cousin, who she used to play with. Fū was her replacement in Root. A mechanical soldier doing the dirty deeds of Konoha behind the Hokage's back. A whole army and arsenal, unchecked by anyone.

"You're thinking of Miho as a resource. Fine." Chōji spoke up, shifting attention. His family understood resource metaphors more than anyone. "There's only so much of a resource."

"What usually happens when a resource runs out?" Miho questioned. Her friend's chin was held high and her feet squared beneath her shoulders. Weight-balance, center of gravity. Miho did it without thought now. "Aoba-sensei, I trust your judgement. Genma-sensei trusts you, so I will too. I may not like the Monkey Teacher, but it was never him I _really_ feared."

"You say that like the Monkey Teacher is a puppet."

Ino rolled her shoulders. She was too tired and dirty for this. Way too tired and way too dirty. For a guy that could read minds, he sure was slow to understanding. And that irritated her.

He should do better. Shikamaru fell onto the center bed, face down. It didn't break the tension.

His voice was muffled by the sheets when he spoke. "You saw what Miho remembers."

"I did."

"That hawk has already preyed on the Three. He's already destroyed an entire clan. If he finds out that such knowledge exists outside of his circle, what do you think will happen?" Shikamaru's expression was placid and civil, pressed against the sheets. Bored. He was _bored_ by all this. His eyes slid closed. "Do you really think that we can risk it?"

Ino squeezed her eyes shut, wincing as it was stated straight-out.

They knew too much.

And the consequences were too steep if things went wrong, like an old war criminal finding out that they knew about all his Dirty Deeds. They knew all about his secret force. They knew too much.

"Damn it." The jōnin muttered, lifting a hand to his forehead. Maybe he'd finally wrapped his head around how _screwed_ he now was right along with them. And he was screwed. Just like them. "Damn it."

Miho sighed, nodding her head in commiseration. She withdrew a bag of chips, slipping one onto her tongue. "Right?"

* * *

His kids were safe. They were fine.

Really, that was all he could ask for given the current situation. Koji and Tetsuya were holed up in one of the team barracks, tending their wounds and silently contemplating what had happened. When he checked on them and heard their story of the whole situation, Genma tried to piece together the _hows_ and the _whys._

The more he tried to do that, the less sense everything made.

Especially since the boys said Miho had been separated from them before they'd even awakened.

Especially since the boys were frantic in their worry for her.

He guessed, _really_, that he should just be grateful his kids were alive. That they weren't on Orochimaru's radar for some absolutely wild, absurd reason. That they made it out of the exams in one piece.

But Genma knew something was _off._

He hadn't survived to his age by ignoring his gut. And his gut said something was _off. _

Rolling his senbon to the right corner of his mouth, he knocked on the door and waited for her voice to call him inside. When it came, he eased through the door, trying not to be surprised when he found Aoba sitting across the room as if standing guard. He caught his friend's eyes and raised a brow. On the other side of the room, Team Ten was circled around his student.

The Nara was asleep. The Akimichi (well, both of them) were eating. And the Yamanaka was glaring at Genma with a fury. As if he'd done something stupid to warrant it. Which, to his knowledge, he hadn't.

The silence was strange.

"So...what's up?"

"Nothin' much." Aoba shrugged. "Your student's given me five cookies in two hours and I'm pretty sure she's out to ruin my awesome physique."

Miho laughed and he turned to study her. She looked leaps and bounds better than she had when he'd set off to hunt a Sannin. The blood had been cleaned from her face and she'd changed into a fresh outfit. Still, the cuts and bruises marbled her skin.

And the bags under her eyes were more pronounced than ever.

He'd never noticed them before.

He briefly wondered how the boys would react to her current appearance.

She looked rough.

Better to keep Book Club separated for the time-being. For her sake as much as theirs. No doubt she wasn't in the mood for their nagging. It seemed Team Ten was acting as guardians in the meantime, positioned as a three-point defense. For some reason or other. Even the Nara, who was sprawled out on the center bed, snoring.

"The guys said you took down two Kusa shinobi."

She jerked her head around to stare at him before nodding. "Got their scroll, too."

"You got both scrolls. If you'd come to the tower, you would've definitely made it to the next round."

He watched as she looked away, fiddling with the edge of her yukata. He was learning her mannerisms, her tells. Her brother glanced at her, pausing minutely in his shoveling of chips.

"I did what I had to do."

"Yeah."

He moved to sit on the bed opposite her, back to Aoba and alongside the sprawled Nara. She turned to stare at him, as if waiting for him to admonish her in some way. In his mind, Genma had to keep his anger in check. Why was _that _what she was expecting? To be chastised for her actions?

The furious expression on the Yamanaka's face was telling enough. She'd murder him in cold blood for a negative word. That girl would be a terrifying force one day.

Like her father.

Scoffing, he sat back and rolled the senbon between his teeth.

"You made the right call. Because of you, we were able to protect Uchiha Sasuke. Because of you, Orochimaru's plan was ruined."

Her eyes went wide and he noticed that they flickered behind him, to Aoba. He saw her jaw clench then unclench. Her brother shifted, eating a few more chips per handful. The Yamanaka sagged. Behind him, he felt the Nara wake up. A lot of tells, but no clear reason.

Why?

"Just Sasuke? Why stop there?"

Miho was normally confident, even in her lies. Her voice was shaking.

Genma felt something odd shift in the room and he turned to look at Aoba. Aoba, who was tense and coiled. As if he was about to send a flock of crows down on some enemy. Aoba, who had nerves of steel. Aoba, who faced down entire battalions and didn't bat an eye.

"It… doesn't make sense."

"Which part?"

"Orochimaru went after the Uchiha. Fine. But he could've done that anytime. Could've done it when Team Seven was on a mission. Why now? Why during the exams? What's the _point_?" Aoba's voice was calm and level, but Genma could feel the energy spiraling around the room. "There's got to be something more going on. A one-off? No way."

"They've got the Uchiha protected."

He didn't miss the Nara's huffed scoff, even if he was still feigning sleep. Not even trying to hide it.

Just like his father.

"Orochimaru's not the kind to give up so easily." Aoba shifted forward. Genma nodded, not quite sure why he felt so… unbalanced. Off. Something was off. "That's what you're saying. The Hokage was his teacher. He knows Orochimaru's not the kind to showboat for no reason."

"We need to up security for the whole village."

Nodding, Genma agreed and turned back to Miho.

What he saw was chilling.

Her eyes were vacant.

Unseeing.

She was staring at the post of the bed he sat on, eyes wide and detached.

"Miho?"

No response. Her eyes remained unfocused on the bedpost, hands clenching then unclenching and clenching again. Her back was rigid. Genma was on his feet in a flash, moving to stand in front of her. He felt the Nara move behind him.

"Aoba, what's going on?"

His friend was in front of her immediately, kneeling down to grab her hands.

The Yamanaka was moving to her knees beside her friend, hand rising as if to press it to her head.

"Stop. Don't."

The blonde froze.

Genma was not used to feeling confused. Uninformed, sure. Unprepared, of course. But not confused.

His attention flickered to her brother. He'd expected to see fear or frantic worry. Instead, he saw sadness and resignation. Her brother didn't move. As if he'd seen this before. As if he knew what this was. Genma felt his stomach turn.

This was _normal. _A normal he didn't know.

"You're not at fault."

He must've heard her thoughts. Aoba had that ability, to hear someone's mind even _without_ touching them. Genma felt himself tense, wondering what he'd heard in his student's head. What did she feel was her fault?

"Miho. Wake up."

Miho's eyes flickered and she came back to reality, eyes focusing again. They flashed around the space, looking for vulnerabilities, for weaknesses, for defensible spaces. Genma kept his knee-jerk anger in check. As a new genin, she had no reason to be falling into trauma responses. He shared a look with Aoba.

Her eyes widened and she looked to Aoba again.

Then, her head shook. _She_ shook.

A whole conversation was happening in front of him and he couldn't hear it. Genma took the senbon from his mouth. Whatever was happening in this room, his student was at the center of it.

"There somethin' I should know?"

His student's eyes fell on him. And she was terrified.

He'd seen her take a near-fatal blow before and she looked calmer than this. He'd seen her face down the Hokage, stand firm in her decisions and beliefs in front of the strongest shinobi in the village. This was chaotic fear given form and he didn't know what to do. He pulled in a breath and looked down at Aoba.

He was met with a firm stare, willing him to be quiet and wait.

Wait for what, he wasn't sure.

He watched as she turned to her brother, who held her gaze for a few moments before shrugging. She turned to the Yamanaka, her obvious fear building, and the girl only stared back. She gave no answer to the unspoken question. Finally, she looked across the space to the now-sitting-up Nara.

He stared at her for a long moment before sighing. He threw an arm over his eyes. "This is a drag."

Miho nodded, finally looking up to him.

For all his years as a shinobi, Genma had experienced all kinds of tragedy. He'd murdered fathers and mothers and all manner of people. He'd taken out entire platoons. He'd done so much in the name of his village. But, in all his years of service, he'd never seen that kind of trust in a person's face.

"Genma-sensei, I need to tell you something."

She glanced away, toward Aoba.

Aoba, who knew whatever the 'something' was.

She looked around at Team Ten before seeming to lose her energy. She sagged as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "I— I don't know if this is the right decision."

Aoba stood. "He's former ANBU. He's your teacher. He's one of my best friends. He was your father's student and worked closely with your birth father. He's arguably one of the best shinobi in the village." He shifted, standing straighter at Aoba's words. Somehow, it felt like he needed to prove himself. "If you can't trust him, then you can't trust anyone."

Genma tensed, not knowing where this was going. What did he need their trust for? To such an extent?

Miho's eyes squeezed shut.

"Show him."

The Nara had picked himself from the bed and saddled next to his team. His arms crossed as he yawned. "You should probably sit down."

"Yeah," Aoba drawled. Genma looked to him and held his eyes for a moment. They'd been in life-or-death situations together. They'd been in war together. He trusted Aoba more than he trusted most people. He held up his right hand, the one he used to enter people's minds. "You're definitely gonna want to sit down."

Shifting his attention back to his student, she stared back up at him, unwaveringly. Like she did when she faced down the Hokage. He could see the fear, but— beyond that— he could see her faith in him. Faith in _him_. It was conflicted faith, but it was there. And Genma, for the first time in so, so long, wanted to _earn_ that kind of trust.

He lowered himself down onto the cot's edge, pulling the senbon from his teeth. "You can trust me."

Aoba's hand came to rest on his forehead.

And the world erupted into chaos.

* * *

She was shaking. It was too much. All of it, how quickly it was unraveling. Years and years of silence was unweaving itself before her very eyes. The cinching thread was attached to Aoba and all of his movements, a red string that tore away the patterns and threads until everything was a fray of tattered fabric. Next to her, she felt Chōji shift and take her hand.

She didn't miss the way Ino slid forward, to position herself in front of Miho. That had Miho reaching forward to grab her shoulder— to force her back, get her to move. Anything to keep her friend from thinking she _needed_to do that, to block her.

Ino just shrugged her hand off, sending her a dark look over her shoulder.

"Two jōnin are better than one."

"What if he wants to go to the Hokage like Yamashiro did?" Ino questioned, raising a brow at Shikamaru. He kept his expression neutral, but Miho could see the tick in his jaw. He didn't know how this would turn out any more than the rest of them did. "Then what?"

"It's coming." Chōji spoke, voice hard. Miho felt his hand tighten around hers. "We avoided one part, but what about the rest? We can't do this alone. How're we suppose to stop _all_ of it?"

"We could've." Ino retorted, carding a hand through her dirty, sweaty hair. She hadn't even had time to rest since arriving to the tower. Miho released her shoulder and let her hand fall back to her side. She tried to ignore that Aoba was still in her teacher's mind. "We could've done exactly what Shikamaru said. Dropped clues, avoided all this—"

"Then _what_? There's too many moving parts. Our hand was forced." Shikamaru rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. They'd been over this, silently, through looks and expressions. "We needed reinforcements."

Aoba-sensei stepped back, hand dropping away from her teacher's forehead. She slid forward, leaning on the edge of the cot as his eyes opened. Their usual sharp brown was dulled. His expression was calm and, contrary to other reactions, he remained still. He just looked at her before sighing and lifting his right hand to put a senbon between his teeth.

"Well," he said after a long, tense moment. "That was somethin'."

Miho released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Understatement of the year, my friend." Aoba-sensei swung a leg over a nearby chair as he sat down, waving his hand. "Gai on a training rampage is _something._ This is… something _else_."

"Articulate." Genma-sensei blandly complimented. She stood upright when his attention finally fell to her. "Knowing all that—must've been hard."

Miho tried to focus on the feel of the rough canvas of her backup yukata against her palms. She tried to focus on the gnawing sensation of hunger in her stomach that seemed to echo into her shoulders, making them ache. She tried to focus on the grit she felt on her skin, matted with the sweat. She tried _so hard_ not to cry. But she failed.

"Calm down. Deep breaths, okay?"

"So're you gonna report us to the Hokage for treason?"

Miho could hear the bite in Ino's tone and she could imagine her friend sending Aoba-sensei a scathing look. She fought back the tears, forcing them into submission as she raised her head again. Crying wasn't going to solve any of this, however overwhelming it was.

Genma-sensei wasn't studying her anymore. Instead, his attention shifted between Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji.

"Now this dynamic makes sense."

"What do you mean, Genma-sensei?"

"Shades there helped you in the exam."

Shikamaru smirked around the "troublesome" he breathed out.

"I'm 'Shades.' Think of another nickname." Aoba-sensei replied flippantly from where he sat hugging the back of a chair. "Call him Shadow Boy or something."

"Shadow Boy is lame, Peanut Gallery." Genma-sensei shot back with a bland smile. He turned back to Miho. "You needed to get past the first exam."

"I was the radical element. I needed to warn someone of Orochimaru's presence and stop the attack on Sasuke." She felt disappointment slam into her as she shook her head. "It didn't stop Orochimaru from slapping that seal on Naruto though." Sighing, she pressed a hand to her forehead, which was beginning to ache.

A tap on her shoulder drew her attention away from her teacher's face. Chōji held out a bag of barbecue chips, gesturing for her to take them. She'd need to calorie load for the rest of the day if she was going to make her quota.

"This all explains the privacy seal on the door as well." Genma-sensei noted, jerking his head toward the door. "That's gonna become obvious after a while, so we're gonna need to wrap this up. Tell me you have codenames for stuff. Otherwise, how the hell did you keep this a secret so long?"

Miho felt a smile pull at her lips at her teacher's easy acceptance. It'd thrown her— and everyone else— off-kilter. She could feel Team Ten's suspicion.

"We don't have codenames."

"_You_ don't have codenames." Genma-sensei looked completely scandalized. "Who are you and what've you done with my student?"

"So, wait, you're cool with this?" Ino inserted herself, crossing her arms. "Miho remembers the future from a past life, saw Konoha invaded, destroyed, and a massive war, and you're worried about codenames."

Genma-sensei's demeanor shifted. She knew the switch at once, recognizing as he fell into shinobi-mode rather than Genma-mode. His eyes hardened and narrowed, back straightening. This was a former ANBU operative and a leading jōnin. "No, Yamanaka, I'm not 'cool' with any of this."

"Codenames help to maintain secrecy and add a layer of protection to a mission." Aoba added, chin on his folded arms. His voice was a bit slurred as he didn't bother to raise his head. "Like using the Hawk reference before. It's typical of high-level missions with necessary secrecy."

"Considering this is going to be _one hell_ of a long op, I'd say codenames are a necessity." Genma-sensei looked down to his shoes or the floor, seeming to think through something. "If we're gonna avoid this absolute shitshow, we better get moving."

"You're not gonna tell the Hokage?" Chōji wondered aloud, coming to stand by Miho's side.

"The Hokage should know." He held up a hand when Ino went to argue. "Eventually. We need more strategic pieces in place before that happens."

Miho felt the shaking start in her chest.

"You mean my dad." Shikamaru stated, eyes half-lidded. "You're saying we need a gold general." While Miho recognized the shogi terminology, she didn't quite follow his meaning. He seemed to sense this and he sighed. "Troublesome. Should've listened when I explained the game."

Miho just stared at him, not in the mood for that kind of shrug-off.

"Nah, kid, we need a gamemaster. And you're good, kid, but you're not there yet." Genma-sensei clicked his tongue while Aoba nodded. Her teacher looked to her, sliding down from the edge of the bed to kneel in front of her, a hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "The Hawk won't get you. This will work. It will." He smiled around the senbon. "Besides, you're not the only one with that knowledge now. You've got five people here you can rely on."

Five people that were now in danger. Because of her. Five people that may suffer some terrible fates because she'd already altered the story. Danzō could come for them. The Hokage could use them or abuse them. She tried to control the panic, pushing it down and away. Swallowing it, holding it in her stomach. Like the chips that festered there.

Knowledge like this didn't come without consequences.

Still, Miho nodded.

She could hope for the best, regardless.

After all, now her teacher knew.

And Sasuke was safe. For now.

And her friends were safe, for now.

"Let's go see if an exception can be made."

Genma-sensei stood, moving toward the door.

"An exception?"

"I deal in technicalities." Her teacher smirked, opening the door and cancelling the seal. "You may wanna go find the boys. Maybe they won't nag you." He stopped and winked, voice becoming deadpan. "And stop showing favoritism to Team Ten. They're lame and boring and I really don't get why you like them so much."

Aoba-sensei laughed. Miho felt herself grin, some of the tension melting from her abdomen as Ino screeched out a counter-argument. Miho turned to Chōji, burying her face in his shoulder and deflating into his arms. For a long moment, it seemed like everything _just might_ be okay.

* * *

Apparently, the exception was the ability to watch the preliminary rounds. Miho wondered just how Genma-sensei made the case to the Hokage. Perhaps it was a kind of reward, given the calm smile that the old man gave her as they entered the viewing platform. For reporting instead of progressing in the exam? Miho wasn't entirely sure. Both Koji and Tetsuya ran to the railing, situating themselves in a prime viewing position.

"You ask me this is better than actually fighting." Koji shrugged, leaning his back against the rail while waiting for the other teams to make it up to the viewing platform. "We weren't ready on an individual level anyway."

He had a point. Miho smiled, propping her elbows on the rail as she leaned forward beside him. A chip bag was held in one hand. "Dinner and a show."

"I wanna see the Nara actually have to fight." Tetsuya drawled, smiling at Miho's chastising look. "What?"

"Puppet Dude's fight is the one I'm lookin' forward to. Never seen a puppeteer fight before."

"How'd'ya know he's a puppeteer? He could be just carryin' a big doll around."

"If he's a puppeteer, that's _exactly_ what he's doin'!"

Miho nearly choked when she saw Kankurō's eyes cut up to the viewing platform from where he was walking below. The corners of his painted lips pulled up. He met her eyes. Her heart jumped into her throat and she ducked out of view, coughing. "He heard you."

"So what?" Tetsuya scoffed. "I don't care."

Genma-sensei's laugh came from their right and they turned to see him propped against the wall. "Try not to egg on the international teams, nerds. You're lucky you're in here in the first place."

Koji and Tetsuya settled a bit before Tetsuya turned to their teacher and smiled. "So, we rag on the home teams?"

Genma-sensei shrugged. "Go for it."

Her teammates had been very careful about how they approached the Orochimaru situation, sworn to absolute secrecy by Genma-sensei. Still, when she'd arrived in their barracks earlier, she'd been enveloped in hugs and told, in no uncertain terms, that she was _never to go off for a side battle again_. They knew it was an empty promise, but she still gave her word—if only to make them feel better.

They didn't ask any more questions than: Was she okay? What happened? Did he hurt anyone in the forest? And was he gone? Once they had the answers to those questions, they let the matter drop.

And, despite Miho thinking otherwise, they were completely fine with missing out on the rest of the exam.

Or, at least, not progressing in it.

"We already decided to go as far as we could. We'll definitely be ready next time. Whether or not _that_ whole thing happened, Chubs, we still wouldn't have made it to the finals."

"And that's okay." Koji had inserted with a thumbs-up.

"And that's okay!" Tetsuya had agreed.

And it seemed, as simple as that, the issue was settled.

Her team was beautiful and she loved them.

She loved them.

Miho wondered vaguely if they'd already resolved to _just let it go_ before she'd arrived to the barrack, but she was too grateful to ask.

She watched from the platform as the participants were given an opportunity to drop out. This time, Kabuto was not around to withdraw. In fact, his whole team was absent. Another team from Grass had taken their place somehow.

A change.

Miho's concern shifted to the proctor, who was attempting to speak below.

"Genma-sensei, is Hayate-sensei okay?"

"Funny that you remembered his name, Miho."

She flinched, realizing that she'd never met the coughing man before. But she did remember him. Just like she remembered how he died.

Genma-sensei sent her a look that told her to calm down. She took a large bite of a cookie and focused on chewing it. "He's fine. Just can't shake the cough."

She couldn't remember the order of the fights. Just flashes of some, clearer images of others— Naruto and Kiba's, Shikamaru's, Ino and Sakura's, Neji and Hinata's, and Gaara and Lee's. Sasuke's was a blank space. She couldn't remember her brother's.

She couldn't remember Choji's fight.

"Don't worry, Miho."

Miho nodded at Genma-sensei's words, but that was easier said than done.

Slowly, the teams filtered up to the platform. Miho idly watched, breaking apart a cookie while silently hoping that the Suna team kept to the opposite end. Not because she didn't like them but because she _did._

In the Images, she remembered things about that team more clearly than other characters. Kankurō's fight was crystal clear. Garra's bout with Gaara and subsequent fight with Sasuke. The battle in the forest. Temari's fight with Shikamaru. Kankurō trying to save Gaara. Gaara lifeless. Temari's command in the war. Gaara's words at the Kage Summit, the speech before the Shinobi Alliance.

All of it was clear, as if the memories were her own. Hers.

Miho kept her attention away from them, focusing instead on the energetic ball of sunshine barreling her way.

"MIHO! YOU'RE HERE?! What're you doin' here, huh? Bushy Brows said that your team got disqualified! I told him he had to be crazy 'cause you're a badass fighter, but then he-" He jerked back, throwing a glare over her shoulder. "Koji— Man, were you the one to screw up and get Team Five disqualified? I knew it!"

Koji grinned, glancing at her before giving a reverent nod, holding a hand over his heart. It had all the gravitas of a formal declaration. Behind him Tetsuya dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Totally my fault." Miho smiled. "The Hokage let us hang out because we failed so _spectacularly_. Miho's only here to keep the two of us in check."

Lee approached a moment later, pulling her into an embrace. Naruto meanwhile leaned over the railing to scream encouragement to Sasuke, who summarily ignored Naruto's shouted support. A bit muffled by her shoulder, Lee seemed far more subdued than usual. And her heart was thrumming nervously in her chest when her eyes caught sight of red hair at the end of the platform.

No.

"I am sorry that you cannot compete, my friend. These people would have truly benefited from seeing your Youth in action."

"They'll benefit more from seeing _yours_." Miho stepped back, reaching for his right arm. Unconsciously, she set to tightening his weights. It was an old habit, as old as the weights themselves. He waited while she did it, holding out his left arm when she was done. "Be careful, okay?"

"Yosh."

She moved to stand by Genma-sensei, back against the wall, as Sasuke's match began. He glanced down at her, but merely shifted his senbon in acknowledgement.

_It's not as cool without the background music._

Her entire body flinched as Ino's presence came into her mind. She glanced over to find her friend's head on Shikamaru's shoulder as he propped her up. It was an incredible contrast to the Images, which showed her fangirling during the Uchiha's match. Ino's voice scoffed in her head.

_Think we can stop some stupidity today?_

Miho glanced to Neji's back, which was ramrod straight. She'd never paid much attention to just how long his hair was. It reminded her a bit for the River King's. Miho heard a few hisses in the crowed when Sasuke's opponent struck him down with a kick. Naruto let out a screech.

_Short of jumping into the actual fight…_

Ino's presence melted away and Miho looked to see her friend shrugging as if to say 'we gotta do what we gotta do.' Shikamaru glanced at her then over to where Miho sat, eyes half-lidded.

He was so obviously _bored._

"You guys are all cute, but you're not discreet in the slightest." Genma-sensei commented. "Focus on the—"

She heard the winds before the Images hit. The swirling and crashing and pummeling. The shattering of glass. The radio. A different song. A different song on the radio. A different song on the radio and a different _time. _6:47pm. Kakashi and Sasuke, but there was no Kakashi and Sasuke in darkness now, was there? But Orochimaru was there.

_That's what makes us..._

Orochimaru was there.

_Shine on, shine on._

Orochimaru was— Miho focused, eyes tracking over the stadium to the other side of the space. Her heart plummeted into her stomach before jumping into her throat. It felt like indigestion, burning just below her sternum. That was— She forced her eyes to track away again, down to Sasuke, to Naruto's back, to Chōji's wide eyes, to Koji and Tetsuya, to Kankurō, to Sakura and Lee, and then— She looked up to her teacher.

"Have…" Her voice was rough and shaking. "Have…Have you ever read _The Sky Temple _series, Genma-sensei?"

Genma-sensei looked away from the fight. His eyes widened before he shrugged. "I've read it. Needed to know what you kids were geeking out about."

Miho smiled despite the sharp fear that stabbed at her stomach. She reached up and pressed a hand to his forearm, squeezing on specific words. "The guardian of the south was my least favorite _character_. _Here_'s the thing: it was never the south that was _evil_— it was _him._"

_Character. Here. Evil. Him._

Orochimaru is here.

Her teacher nodded, eyes scanning the room as casually as any jōnin, and she watched as his eyes found the odd person out. The long-haired jōnin sensei from Otogakure. "I respect that opinion. I'm sure you've got some sort of literary opinion. You're part of the Book Club after all." She released his arm and he nodded.

Miho moved, forcing her body to steady as she walked toward the railing to watch as Sasuke dealt a serious blow to his opponent. The guy- one of the random Kusa team that made it through- struggled to stand back up.

When she glanced back again, Genma-sensei was gone and had moved to stand beside Kakashi-sensei.

"COME ON, SASUKE! FINISH HIM OFF!"

Sasuke dealt the final blow, a combination of taijutsu and ninjutsu. He twisted in the air, moving so fast and so easily that the movement seemed choreographed. He landed on his feet, shrugging off the win like it was nothing. He might as well have brushed off his shoulder. Still, he was breathing hard and was holding his right arm.

_They're going after him._

Ino's voice seemed stronger this time, more powerful. Miho didn't jolt at the sudden intrusion. She didn't turn away from the battleground, keeping her eyes focused on the screen as it cycled through names. Ino must've noticed him. Her brother and Shikamaru as well. They were all playing a game: Avoid Tipping Off the Crazy Sannin.

_Aren't they?_

Miho shifted. _I don't know._

Orochimaru would have no reason to confront Kakashi-sensei now. Sasuke didn't have the Curse Seal. There was no telling what actions Orochimaru would take in order to secure the Uchiha. Even if she wasn't fond of him, Miho couldn't let Sasuke be so manipulated without doing _something_ to stop it. He didn't deserve that.

Naruto didn't deserve to be condemned to _chasing him down_ either.

As he came up to the platform, moving to Naruto's side and earning a nod from his teacher, Miho fished a cookie out from her snack pack. She held it out without looking at him, not wanting to draw much attention to the action. She felt his disbelief before the cookie was taken from her hand.

"Are you only here to deliver snacks?" A voice asked from her right. She turned and felt her heart jump into her ears. The thumping there made it seem like the world shrunk. Neji was staring at the screen, arms crossed. Her eyes slipped to Lee, who was glaring but holding back his anger to let her handle this herself. "After all, why else would losers be allowed here?"

Miho swallowed down anger that felt a lot like hunger. She wondered if Sasuke heard the comments from where he stood at her other side. Naruto was loudly complaining about the delay in announcing the next bout, so maybe not? It didn't matter. Her anger was so white hot that she briefly wondered if _she_ could uppercut the Hyuuga instead of Naruto.

In lieu of an answer, Miho reached in her pack and held out a protein cookie to the Hyuuga. She turned when he didn't take it. He was staring her down, very obviously offended at the proffered snack. And probably offended because he was caught off-guard.

Lee really did have a good understanding of his teammate.

"You have any dietary restrictions, Hyuuga? Gluten allergy, maybe?"

The guy's brows drew together _just a bit._ He was irritated.

"Chubs, don't waste your breath on him. He's being a jerk."

Miho ignored Tetsuya's huff and withdrew the cookie, taking a bite out of it herself. "I only offer cookies to the winners of honorable matches. We'll see if you earn one. I have some gluten-free ones."

"I do not want a cookie."

Nodding, she shrugged. "Yeah, you don't strike me as the 'cookie' type, Hyuuga." She walked away then, trying to get away from the Hyuuga and all of his repressed (and not-so-repressed) drama. She settled on the railing by her teammates again, sharing a look with them that begged them to _let it go._ "Don't. Just don't."

"Stop offering cookies to people that aren't us, Chubs."

Koji let out a guffaw, clapping her on the shoulder. "The whole platform heard the honorable win cookie prize bit. You might be out of cookies by the end of all this, sweetheart."

"I want two when I win."

Kankurō walked past, not even turning around to acknowledge that he said anything. He descended the stairs, ending the arena for his match. Miho watched with wide eyes, not quite sure if she heard him right. That couldn't have been what she heard, right? Koji laughed again, turning a thumbs-down at the puppeteer in the arena while Tetsuya rolled his eyes.

"Not happening, man!"

In her peripheral vision, as she stared down at Kankurō in the arena, she saw Orochimaru disappear in a puff of smoke.

Jerking around, she noticed that three of the jōnin teachers had also disappeared. Genma-sensei among them.

Dread blurred her vision and she felt the cool air on the sweat that built on the back of her neck, along her arms. Why did fear feel so much like hunger?

"Miho?"

She turned and nodded, jerking herself out of the panic. There was no time for it. Orochimaru was just one of several threats in that room. And he was now gone, with several top shinobi after him. The other threat, very quickly, was coming for one of her best friends and his future.

Lee.

His bones breaking.

His future and hope breaking, even if just for a time.

Biting her tongue, she turned and looked at the Suna team as Kankurō's match began. She could hear the sound of his false struggling, his theatre. The performance. Temari focused on her brother's battle, eyes narrowed and critical of the show he put on. But Gaara…Sensing the attention, Gaara turned and held her gaze.

Cold. Detatched. Not there.

Absent.

_Come back, Gaara!_

She kept her breathing as steady as possible, not backing down from meeting his eyes. She felt pressure on her chest. Like the air was thinning. The heaviness settled between her shoulder blades, the weight of everything she knew about him and what he'd experienced, what he would do, pressing there.

The pressure of the current him sat over her throat like the blade of a kunai, a blade poised and primed. Ready to slit and cut. She wondered how bad of a mistake she was making, meeting his eyes like this. A terrible mistake. He was a desert's rage given form.

Fear lanced through her when his eyes narrowed.

She wondered, vaguely, if this was what _She_ felt like when she chased storms. The her _there_ and _then._ When _She _saw those towers of winds and clouds, did she feel the same instinct? Was_ She_ afraid of that kind of power? Did _She_ feel like she was suffocating as the wind struck her, when it buffeted her? Did she cower in front of those storms? How did _She, _there and then, face a force of nature?

Three long, blaring beeps.

Miho jolted, losing focus on his face.

One long tone.

_-Wyandotte County. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for southern Wyandotte County, A _ _tornado emergency for western Kansas City and—_

Miho looked away. She hadn't meant to stare that long.

She felt his eyes still on her.

That was a mistake.

She'd made another mistake.

Gulping in air, she held it in her lungs and waited for it to burn.

No matter what life, it seemed she couldn't help but to stare down natural disasters— whatever form they took.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, another post as I avoid packing. I won't be posting again until the end of next week as I REALLY DO HAVE TO PACK!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. The plot is MOVING! I'm so excited. The pieces are being arranged.

Thank you all so much for reading, leaving reviews, following and favoriting this story! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Honestly, thank you again!


	14. Part I: Vignette

Ino won.

In the Images, she and Sakura had knocked each other out— a stalemate in their long-time battle of wills. That dynamic didn't exist in this "telling" and both girls fought as hard as they could with good hearts and respect for each other, rather than out of rivalry. When, after a grueling taijutsu brawl, Ino held Sakura's kunai to her own throat, Hayate-sensei called the match. Ino drew Sakura into a hug, already talking about where improvements could be made and future spars they would have.

Sakura complimented Ino's strategy, falling easily into step with the Yamanaka as they returned to the platform.

Ino had sworn, years and years ago, when they were just little girls, that the double knock-out would never happen. Mostly because she refused to stagnate her own training for the sake of some rivalry. Or to even have a rivalry in the first place. "We're both girls! Kunoichi! Why wouldn't I want her to succeed?" Ino had scoffed at the very notion.

Miho beamed, turning to Koji.

He waved her off with a patient smile. "Yeah, yeah. Yamanaka's 'the best' or whatever. Save it." She watched as his expression changed and his raised his voice a bit. She imagined it was supposed to be some sort of imitation of her voice, but it was more screechy and high pitched. "But, why, Koji? She's my best friend! Why do I gotta stop fangirling over here? No reason, just you're ol' friend Koji can't stand any more hyping the harpy." Miho rolled her eyes and shook her head. "What?"

"I'm not fangirling. I'm being supportive."

"Sure, alright. You also don't like cookies."

"Speakin' of."

Miho jerked around, coming face-to-face with Kankurō. Kankurō, who was actually her height. Up close, she could see how the paint was applied, around his eyes and over his lips. It was a little disconcerting, but no more than his overbearing presence. He pushed his right hand into his pant pocket and held out his left. His eyes were (mockingly) expectant, brows raised.

"Well, are all Konoha shinobi lia—?"

He didn't even finish his sentence before there were two cookies in his hand. Miho met his eyes, not wavering. "They're high protein. Infused with my clan's protein powder. It should give you some energy back after that honorable win."

There was something entertaining about the dumbstruck expression on his face and the way he tried to hide it. And Miho half-expected for him to throw the cookies back at her. If only because she'd caught him off-guard. Out of principle.

"Also, they're not poisoned. The Akimichi don't believe in food-based poisons. Ask anybody. It'd ruin our business. Can't have clients thinkin' we've poisoned the food supply or something."

His fingers closed around the cookies and he stared at them before raising his eyes back to her. She wondered vaguely if he put the paint under his eyes because he couldn't rest well with Gaara in his current state. Probably. After a moment, he shrugged.

"Hah. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

As if on strings himself, he mechanically moved back to his brother and teacher. Temari was already down in the arena, preparing to face Tenten. Carefully, Miho avoided Gaara's stare, again, and turned back to the match.

She wouldn't give Gaara a cookie for his win against Lee unless bones were unbroken. Miho had to remain consistent. She wondered if that reckless thought was just her mind actively trying to avoid remembering that the teachers hadn't yet returned. Returned from whatever was happening with Orochimaru. Whatever new change was occurring elsewhere. So far outside of her control.

What was control anyway in this madness?

Her heart stuttered and she focused on whatever could give her a stable thought.

"Can't believe you gave Puppet Dude a cookie. _Two_ cookies! You're not a concession stand."

"We already said to stop giving away cookies." Tetsuya whined, shaking his head in disappointment. "And now you're givin' 'em to foreign guys."

"Foreign guys!" Koji nodded, crossing his arms.

"With creepy make-up!" Tetsuya tacked on, with a fierce glare toward the Suna team.

"War paint." She and Koji corrected with shrugs.

"What the— What the actual hell? _War paint_?"

Koji took a few chips from Miho's proffered bag, while she glanced around the space. The remaining teachers were tense. Kurenai was glancing around the arena, red eyes lingering in strange places. Like atop the folded hands of the statue or the top left back corner. Gai was coiled, ready to spring into action if needed. Something was off. Something was wrong. She just couldn't sense it.

She had to work on her sensing abilities.

Another item to add to the improvements list.

"Spirit Mountain uses war paint for big jobs."

"They put on make-up to raid people?"

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Koji deflated onto the railing. Below, Tenten circled around Temari. Miho lost focus, turning to see Genma-sensei materializing by the wall. As if he'd never left. As if he didn't have a new cut on his cheek and no senbon in his mouth. Miho felt her stomach turn and worriedly glanced toward where Shikamaru was watching, eyes narrowed and alert. Ino's eyes were shut. Chōji had stopped eating, looking up to a heavily-breathing Asuma. He was sporting a developing bruise on his left eye.

Eeking out an excuse, Miho moved to her teacher's side. He was resting his weight on his right leg, casually hooking the left to rest against the wall. A leg injury? In the arena, Miho could hear Temari baiting Tenten. The rest of the bout would only last a few minutes. Sensing a change to her left, she noticed that both Kakashi had returned as well.

"The Center Guardian is currently handling it."

Miho translated _The Sky Temple_ terminology to their context. The Center Guardian was the leader, the emperor. _The Hokage_. The Hokage was fighting Orochimaru.

_The Hokage was fighting Orochimaru._

Miho's stomach ached. Her eyes tracked toward where 'the Hokage' stood observing Tenten and Temari's match. A clone, she figured. "Handling it?"

A hand fell on the top of her head. "Later, Miho."

"Why're you back here?"

"Giving the Short Ones better viewing at the rails."

She glared and he ruffled her hair, pushing none-too-gently at the back of her head. She followed the silent instructions and moved back to the railing, casting worried glances toward the ceilings and walls. As if they would crumble inward. As if, at any point, the future would crash in upon them. It was in his room that the story changed. Or maybe it changed forever ago? She wasn't sure anymore.

_ Shape without form, shade without colour,_

_ Paralysed force, gesture without motion._

Miho ignored the voice in her head. The gravelly, rough, old voice. The voice that sounded like crumpled newspapers and tobacco and smoke. And she could see an old man sitting at a large conference table with his feet kicked up and his loafers shining. A brixton on his balding head. The air smelled like old paper and mold.

_ There, is a tree swinging_  
_ And voices are_  
_ In the wind's singing_

And Tenten lost.

She was folded over the end of the fan. Miho winced when she landed, hearing a faint 'pop.' The air was still and it smelled like sweat.

"Damn." Koji hummed. "Windswept's a badass." Tetsuya scoffed.

"It's Suna's win." Chōji summarized to her left. She glanced over to see his eyes opened and narrowed while Shikamaru leaned against the railing. His eyes cut to her and he said a lot with that look. _Something is going to change._ Something had already changed.

The house of cards was falling. Miho felt like she was watching it in slow motion.

Tenten was tossed and Lee jumped down to catch her, obviously losing his temper with Temari's attitude. Miho clenched her teeth, gripping the railing so hard that she felt it crumple a bit, like tin beneath her fingers. Sucking in a deep breath, Miho held it. Tenten was gently set upon the ground. Then, she lost her patience, nervous energy thrumming in her chest.

"Lee! Knock it off and bring Tenten up here."

Lee wasn't even _trying_ when he attacked and Temari had to realize that. He was hardly putting in a quarter of his usual effort. Miho looked down to see Tenten laying on the floor below, still unconscious and alone. While her teammates were—Neji didn't look like he was bothered. Lee was focusing more on his own emotions than his teammate. Rolling her eyes, she coiled her muscles and glanced back to Genma-sensei for permission. This was probably breaking rules. She wasn't even supposed to be there, after all.

He shrugged, rolling his senbon to the left. Miho dropped into the arena just as Lee's kick landed.

"Lee, stop!"

"What?"

She couldn't hear what Temari was saying, but Miho hardly cared. Tenten was laid on her side, which was stupid for someone with a possible back injury. Lee wasn't _thinking._ He was _reacting._ She knew back injuries were dangerous and she knew the treatment well enough from her own spars with Lee when he'd land terribly hard hits against her spine. Carefully, Miho arranged Tenten onto her back and looked up to Koji. He dropped some bandages into her waiting, outstretched hands.

"Just the worst ones. The medics are comin'."

"Temari. Come up quick. You've been declared the winner. Don't keep company with that awful-looking guy and his chaperone forever."

That was petty. Miho didn't remember Gaara being that kind of...bully.

"What…?"

Miho saw an opportunity. A stupid opportunity, but one that might change the narrative. The story was already changing, from what Shikamaru observed, by her presence alone. Now, even the Hokage had been caught up in the waves of change. Before, in the Images, Lee was established as someone to kill because of his rumored strength. From the way Gaara stared down at him, he didn't yet have that impression. If she let Gai-sensei—

"That's enough, Lee." Gai-sensei started. "Gentlemen of Suna, I will—"

"Lee! Stop razzing the Suna team and call the medics." Miho focused on bandaging Tenten's arm, fully aware that all attention in the arena was on her. Fully-aware, too, that she'd interrupted Gai-sensei.

She'd have to apologize for that later.

The Hokage was off battling his wayward student somewhere and Miho was convinced that the Kakashi standing behind Team Seven was a clone. Ino won her match and now Lee wasn't persona non grata for Gaara, at the moment at least. Who knew what other changes were coming? After all, there was the remaining members of the Kusa team to deal with. How they got through, she wasn't sure, but none of the team members had fought yet.

There was every chance they could affect the line-up.

Her eyes tracked to Neji, who was watching from above.

"Hey, Gluten-Free, come down here and help me with your teammate."

Lee stared up at Gaara for a moment longer before turning on his heel and marching over. His form was stiff and she could see the anger curling his lip. When she met his eyes, she could see that the anger was a shade less than righteous rage. And some of it, really, was meant for her. He arrived and Neji landed two steps away. They both stared down at Tenten before kneeling. Miho was all-too-aware of Neji's scowl, but she really couldn't care less.

"Miho, it's wrong. She fought honorably."

"Honor's not always rewarded, Lee. By all rights, Temari's fight was honorable. Her post-fight actions weren't." Her eyes flicked to Neji. "Post-fight actions say a lot about a person. What you do once you've won shows who you are, just as much as when you lose." The medics arrived with a backboard and Miho stepped back with Team Gai's members, watching as Tenten was gently placed on the board and carried away. "Lee, stop glaring at them."

"You're not a member of this team, loser."

Miho rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, letting out a breath. Because really. She could remember, from the Images, that Neji was often associated with a bird. At the moment, she wondered if that bird was really a cockatoo. After all, he seemed to repeat the same phrases a lot and in a really annoying voice to boot.

If things went according to the Images, Neji would soon learn better.

Naruto would knock some sense into him.

"You guys wanna get off the floor? Seriously. Troublesome." Shikamaru gestured toward the screen with a nod. Miho huffed, watching as Neji returned to the platform and Lee stared after Tenten as she disappeared with the medics.

Miho pressed a hand to his shoulder and jerked her head upward. Turning back to Shikamaru, Miho couldn't help but to grin at his casual stance. "Good luck, Shikamaru. You can do it."

"That's right, Shikamaru! You can do it!" Ino called down. There was a threatening edge to her tone. As if she'd destroy him herself if he somehow screwed it up. "Kick her ass!"

"Right, right. You two are so_ loud._ I can't hear anymore. Geez." He raised a hand and scratched his ear, clicking his tongue. Miho saw the implication in his eyes and her grin became a bit more…real. He'd stuck something in his ears. "Hurry up already."

Shikamaru turned away, yawning.

"And I want one of the cranberry cookies."

* * *

Genma was pretty sure that everything he saw in Miho's mental comic book was just screwed to hell. Pretty sure. Like, 95.7% sure. Well, the stuff that was contemporary. The future stuff he wasn't so certain about. That'd take time to figure.

Honestly, Genma had never been a gambler. Hated the risk. Hated anything less than a sure bet. He knew he was no match for a Sannin, no matter how much conviction he had. And he had conviction alright. That damn traitor made a friend's life a living hell and then went on to massacre innocents. Still, Genma wasn't a match for him.

Hell, Kakashi wasn't even a match for that Snake Bastard and Kakashi, though Genma loathed to admit it, was a Tier 1 Badass.

But, yeah, Miho's mental comic book just got a serious rewrite.

Somewhere, off in the Forest of Death, the Hokage and a platoon of ANBU were battling the Snake Sannin. Those four guards that Orochimaru had in the Visions? Not there. There was no Suna and Oto invasion drawing the Hokage's attention away. And the Hokage had a whole slew of powerful shinobi on his side.

And, after alerting the Hokage to the situation and chasing the Sannin out to safer, more destroyable territory, Genma fell back to guard the kids.

His attention flickered over to the Hokage's clone as it serenely watched as the Nara kid summarily beat the Oto girl. In a shorter time than the mental comic book, too. The kids cheered. Miho passed him a cookie. Team Ten looked damn near smug.

And Asuma, who was sporting all of the grandeur of being clotheslined by a legendary ninja, looked proud – if a bit dumbfounded. After all, his very weird team was doing very good in this tournament.

Kakashi's clone was doing a half-assed job at seeming real. Anyone with half a sense could tell he was fake, standing behind his kids smiling like the bland lark he was. Maintaining a sense of normalcy was absolutely imperative. Especially with foreign forces present. Orochimaru was an in-house issue, so to speak, even if he was cavorting with Suna's illusions of grandeur.

It was Baki that Genma was tailing, really. Guarding the kids was an excuse. A good excuse, but an excuse. In Miho's Mental Comic Book, which was now the nickname he decided, Genma saw Baki cut Hayate down. It'd been a flash, but it was there.

And that just wasn't gonna happen.

"Chubs, is what he said true?"

Naruto was in the middle of a heated battle with Kiba and was forcing himself to stand, one hand holding his wounded shoulder. Miho was stock still. Her shoulders were tensed and she jumped when Tetsuya's hand fell on her shoulder.

"It's true."

"— you don't know what that's like. But I have friends who believe in me! I have friends that I'm not gonna let down or disappoint. Friends that are there! And I'm not letting you win because I never give up! That's my Ninja Way! I'm gonna be Hokage! Believe it!"

Genma knew the result of the match, now, but it was entertaining nonetheless. That Inuzuka kid was getting the beatdown he deserved. That was enough to get Genma to take a couple steps from the wall to watch the little brat get pummeled.

"Try not to look like you're enjoying this, Shiranui."

"I'm enjoying every second, Sarutobi."

Asuma rolled his eyes and Genma resisted clapping when the Inuzuka took a final kick. Miho didn't have the same sort of control. And she never would, he suspected. She applauded, loudly whooping for the grinning blond below, who beamed up at the platform as if he'd just won the whole exam.

Which, now, wasn't outside of the realm of possibility.

"I'm so proud of you, Naruto!"

Miho embraced him like he was the most precious person in the world. To her, outside of her brother, that very well may have been the case. Ignorant though he was of Miho's knowledge, Naruto was her center. For her, the entire world revolved around him. The center of all the constellations she'd drawn in her mind. And Genma had seen those constellations. Millions of tiny stars- memories, bits of knowledge, people, places, histories, stories- connected in a wildly complex map.

Miho thought in _connections._

In _relations._

It was a dangerous way for a ninja to think.

It was either going to get her killed or save her life, Genma was sure of it.

He just had to make sure she was prepared for whenever the former was a possibility. She needed to be prepared.

"You'll do even better in your next match! I'm sure of it."

Genma barely contained a laugh. Of course, she was sure of it. She'd _seen_ it.

An ANBU—Cat, who was probably miffed at being given messenger duty— appeared in the southeastern most corner of the arena space and Genma glanced up, reading the hand signals. Asuma and Kakashi did the same.

_Enemy. Retreat. No pursuit._

Sighing, Genma reached up and pressed a hand to his forehead. So the Hokage chose not to pursue Orochimaru. Again. Once was a fluke. Twice was a coincidence. Three times was a _pattern_. Lord Third was a sentimental man, despite his incredible experience and knowledge. He would never take the steps needed to end Orochimaru until the world was ending around him. And even then, it would be a last resort that would cost his life.

Genma did not look at Team Ten.

He wasn't blind or foolish. They were right not to trust Sarutobi Hiruzen with the information they possessed.

_Hokage?_

_Safe. Normal. Situation stable._

The ANBU disappeared as the next match was announced. He dropped his eyes to the screen.

Genma felt his breath catch as he stared at the names. His attention flew to Miho, who staggered back as if she'd been struck. Tetsuya caught her arm while Koji moved to stand behind her, hiding her moment of weakness from view. Genma moved forward, settling himself directly behind his team, fortifying them as they cared for her. Miho was not someone who showed weakness easily or carelessly.

So many changes…Their impact had to be felt somewhere.

It seemed _this_ was the price.

The was the beginning of the cascade.

Akimichi Chōji gathered himself up, putting away his bag of chips as he jumped down into the arena. He landed easily for a boy his size, squaring his feet below his shoulders in the traditional Akimichi way. He tugged at the red scarf that sat around his shoulders. Though he couldn't see the kid's face, he could imagine the same determined look that often overtook Miho's— jaw set, eyes narrowed. The famous Akimichi glare. The glare that was well-known by Iwa and Kumo shinobi alike. Kid wasn't messing around.

In the opponent's spot, a swirl of sand materialized the red-headed kid from Suna.

Gaara.

Genma grabbed the back of Miho's yukata. Keeping her from jumping into the fray was Priority #1 among about five or six new priorities. His student would absolutely throw herself in front of a "currently-homicidal" maniac if it meant saving her brother. No matter how much his student's past life respected the future Gaara. (And she did, quite obviously.) This one would have no issue with killing her brother or her.

Genma was really starting to feel older than his age.

Did any of the other teachers feel old like this?

Her brother's teammates were quiet. They knew this was as good as a death sentence. Even without knowing what the kid did to Rock Lee in the Mental Comic Book. They stared down at their teammate with wide eyes. Hell,_ Chōji_ knew this was as good as a death sentence. So, what in the hell was he doing down there squaring up to a jinchūriki? Some sort of performative master class in masochism? Genma shot Asuma a look.

_You gonna stop your wayward student?_

Asuma shrugged as if to say _'It's not my call.' _Asuma didn't know.

He had no idea.

It sure as hell was his call though. If one of Genma's students was facing a threat like that, and he had the knowledge to save them, they'd be out of that arena. Genma gritted his teeth and stayed silent, reaffirming his grip on Miho.

She didn't move.

She didn't seem to breathe.

The silence in the air felt physical, given material form. It laid over the skin like a film, film of cool stale air. Like death. Genma could've sworn he felt sand brush over his face.

"Chōji—" Miho started forward and Genma jerked her back. The boys grabbed each of her arms. Though, if she were determined, she could throw both of the boys off. Her brother turned to look at her, conflict appearing briefly on his face. Part of that conflict took the form of shame.

So, he _did_ realize what a stupid idea this was. _Good._

His eyes cut over to the Nara, who glanced to Miho before minutely shaking his head.

Again, conflict on the Akimichi heir's face. His sister's grip on the railing was so forceful that the metal whined and snapped in her palm. Genma— feeling older than ever before— had only ever seen one other person snap metal like that.

Seeming to deflate, Chōji's shoulders rounded and he turned to Hayate, raising a hand.

"I withdraw."

"You what?"

Gaara's tone was harsh, unforgiving. Angry. Chōji met his eyes, not backing down while backing down. It was honestly impressive. To face that kind of danger, to read the circumstances, to know the possible consequences, and to still take the loss, it was a wise move. Genma knew it would never result in a promotion, but it would certainly get the kid noticed. The Akimichi might get some grief over it, but—

"I forfeit." Chōji leaned forward in a formal bow. A formal clan bow. His arm crossed over his chest as he moved. "I, Akimichi Chōji, withdraw from the Chūnin Exams." He lifted his head, looked to Hayate, and turned to make his way back up to the platform.

Naruto was loudly complaining, waving his hands in the air about how the Akimichi was making a stupid call and how "Bushy Brows" could've taken him. "C'mon! Why the heck are you withdrawin', Chōji? You can take that guy! He's half your size!" Genma could feel Miho tensing, the muscles in her shoulders coiling.

The Suna kid didn't move.

But Genma could sense it coming. He could feel it in the air, like a rain of kunai. It might've been his nerves, knowing that Orochimaru had escaped and that the Hokage still had not returned to the arena. Or the onslaught of world-ending chaos that Aoba unleashed on him just after dawn. Or the fact that his student was living with memories of a past life. Or that the arena was teetering on the edge of a massacre.

Under his hand, Miho shifted, no doubt reading the red-head's expressions.

Someone yelled out.

The sand moved.

Chōji's back was turned.

Miho _moved_, too. Fast. Genma thought his grip would be enough, but it wasn't. The fabric tore. The rough fabric pulled around his fingers as she threw her teammates' hands off and launched herself over the railing— landing between the sand and her brother. Her speed was impressive, given how the quick the sand was moving.

He watched as her body expanded, enlarged arms forming a shield for her brother. The sand sharpened as it moved.

Genma knew he couldn't get there in time.

His student braced against it, arms crossed over her face and head. He could see small lacerations on her enlarged arms and cheeks. Blood just under the swirls. The sand withdrew as if in shock, coiling and spinning and hissing around the arena. It lashed and twisted.

The Suna kid's eyes widened.

"What're you—"

"Not my brother."

Hayate, Baki, Gai, and Lee were all between the Suna kid and the Akimichis in the blink of an eye. Genma grabbed Tetsuya's arm, jerking him back. Koji grabbed the other arm so that Genma could release and move forward. Lee was positioned the closest to Miho— very much primed for combat. The green homage was itching for a fight and, it seemed, he was determined for that opponent to be Gaara. He was glaring down the kid as if he'd committed the worst crime.

Considering honor codes, he had.

Hayate raised an open palm, gesturing toward Gaara as Miho deflated to her arms to their normal size. She let out a breath.

That move would've consumed her reserves.

She was probably running on fumes. Expansion jutsus like that were calorie-eating monsters for Akimichi. Miho was already restricted from full expansions.

Genma launched over the rail and landed next to her.

"If another infraction occurs, you will be disqualified. This is a warning." Hayate levelly chastised the Suna representatives. "Akimichi Miho, another entry into the arena will result in removal from the premises." Naruto was yelling, restrained by Kakashi's clone. "The withdrawal stands. Gaara of Suna will fight in a pigtail before the conclusion of today's qualifying rounds. The next round is a bye."

"Pigtail?"

"A bye?"

"He will fight the winner of the next match. Kusa's team has now withdrawn."

Genma stared at Hayate, brow drawing together. Kusa withdrew? Why?

"How dare you attack someone when their back is turned?" Lee challenged, angrily stepping forward. Miho, quick as lightning, grabbed his arm. "How dare you?"

Gaara seemed to ignore Lee's barely-bridled rage, instead focusing on Miho's stare. She had that same look— the same Akimichi glare that Chōji wore just minutes before, the same that she used to face the Hokage. Her shoulders were still squared and, despite it being absolutely stupid, she wasn't about to back down.

Genma wanted to curse.

Easing her stance, she grabbed Lee's hand and turned to her brother. Something silent passed between them before they started toward the stairs, Miho dragging a reluctant Lee to her side as she moved. As they made their escape, Lee's focus shifted to fussing at her injuries.

"My dearest friend, my heart of hearts- I am appalled that you were injured in the defense of your brother! I swear that I will avenge your injury. I will!"

Miho smiled at him, patting his arm. "Lee, it's okay. Honestly."

"It's not. You always downplay when you are hurt."

"Might as well stay down here, Lee." Gai called, gesturing toward the screen with a grin. A grin because he didn't know what was coming. If he did, Genma knew, Gai would never smile so brightly. He'd bundle up his student and protect him from the hurt that was coming for him. "You're up."

Miho tripped, barely catching herself on the stairs.

The winner of this fight would face Gaara.

Lee would face Gaara.

Nothing was avoided.

Gaara remained on the floor, glaring up at where Miho and Chōji appeared up on the platform. They paid him no attention, weathering Naruto's yelling and Ino's chastising and Shikamaru's deadpan stare. Genma sighed, feeling way, way older than his age as he body-flickered back up to the platform, catching Miho's attention.

He'd seen that look before. On battlefields. When the defenses fell and the enemy was approaching.

She looked back down at the arena, shaking off Koji's hand from her bleeding arm. Naruto came to her other side.

"You're bleeding, Miho."

"It doesn't matter. I'm okay." Miho kept staring down into the arena, never once taking her eyes off Lee. "It's okay. Let's-Let's cheer on Lee."

Genma looked down just in time to see the Suna kid look away from his student, toward Lee and his fighting stance. Lee and his determined smirk. Lee and all of his determination. Lee and his unbroken body. Lee, who winked up at Miho and Naruto with a confident smile.

Genma was pretty sure that everything he saw in Miho's Mental Comic Book was just screwed to hell.

Pretty damn sure. Like, 94.7% sure.

* * *

**A/N:** HERE WE GO! We've arrived at major plot points. And I was able to get this out before tomorrow's move! I'm exhausted and running on fumes, but I wanted to write as much as I could! Thank you all so much for reading, leaving reviews, favoriting, and following this story! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Honestly, thank you again!


	15. Part I: Motif

Chōji was overeating. It was going to make him sick. It was going to have consequences. He knew those things, but it felt good. It felt good when he was full. Or fuller than full. Fuller than he should be. When the food was stacked up in his stomach and his throat ached and burned. It felt like control, given the form of brisket sizzling on a grill. It felt like power, encased in dough and steamed. It felt like strength as it melted down his tongue. Even when he was full, he could never be full. Chōji didn't think he could ever have enough.

Miho was at the hospital again. He'd tried for days to get her to leave, but she stayed— at his bedside. She was waiting for him to wake up. Even Lee's teacher told Miho to go home, to rest, to train, but she didn't listen. She kept vigil, stubbornly holding Lee's hand while eating with her other. While reading with her other.

Chōji didn't think she realized how trapped she looked, sitting there beside Lee.

She felt guilty.

Like it was her fault.

He knew that.

He knew that better than anybody.

Chōji stuffed another piece of meat into his mouth and frowned around it, staring blankly off into the space between his teammates. Ino was silent, rolling her shoulders as she stared at the burning meat and garlic and onions. Shikamaru was 'asleep,' head tilted back and eyes closed. There was something about the silence that felt heavier than the pull of his stomach.

Asuma-sensei was due at any moment, checking in on the team's training progress. They were two weeks in to a three-week hiatus before the finals. After the preliminaries, Ino and Shikamaru approached Inoichi and Shukaku about intensive clan training.

Two-thirds of Team Ten were in the finals.

Where two of the Three went, the last would follow.

Chōji did the same.

"I heard you withdrew." His father's voice had been calm, easy, without judgement. Despite the worry Chōji had when he'd forfeited, no one in the family had said a thing about it. No one in the Clan shamed him. They simply handed him more food or patted his shoulder. But Chōji could read it— the disappointment. He had watched as his father sank down to sit on the en, arms folding over his broad chest.

For a moment, Chōji had wondered if he would ever be as big as his father. His father just seemed so…strong and mighty. At that moment, Chōji felt small. Smaller than he'd ever felt.

Smaller than he felt standing in front of a almost-literal demon.

It made him hungry.

"Do you want to explain your decision?"

Swallowing nothing, Chōji had felt a burn at the back of his throat. He thought about Miho, who threw herself down to shield him, who threw off her calories for days just for that jutsu she used to protect him. He hadn't been fast enough to sense the attack, let alone react to it. He remembered the dull, half-crazed look in that kid's— Gaara's— eyes as he glared at his sister.

Chōji's hands fisted on his thighs.

The way he— Gaara— looked at Miho when Lee's legs were crushed. When his bones shattered like glass by glass. Like he wanted to see her reaction. Like he wanted to make sure she saw every gory detail.

Like he wanted her to suffer.

"He's a jinchūriki."

His father jolted, turning to look at him with wide eyes. Chōji wondered what might've been if he hadn't known. If he'd faced Gaara none-the-wiser. Would he have been a footnote? Or would he have been kindling? "What? How do you know—"

"He…basically said it. That he 'had a monster inside him'?" Chōji was lying, in a way. That had been said, in the Story of Miho's mind, but it was Miho that had explained it. Explained all of Gaara's story before the exams began. All of its horrors. Chōji swallowed. "He's like Naruto, but…not like Naruto. What's happened to him was…"

"Like Naruto?"

It was a baiting question, just to confirm his knowledge. Chōji knew his Pa's tactics well-enough. After all, he was thirteen not as small and naïve as he'd once been. "He contains a tailed beast."

His father had heaved in a great breath. "It was Miho who told you."

"Someone called him a demon when we were six. They shouted: 'Get out of here, demon fox!' and they threw something at him." He sat a little straighter. "Miho didn't have to tell me anything."

Only she had. She'd told him everything.

And he'd seen his father dead. And she'd been dead and—

Pa had seemed older then, shoulders hunching over as his mighty weight sagged.

"Me choosing not to fight hurt Lee."

Pa had turned to him, obviously battling his own reflex emotions. After a long moment, he sighed and turned back to the garden. "Yes, Lee was hurt because you chose not to fight. All of our actions have consequences." Chōji nodded then, knowing what his father was trying to teach him.

Lee would've been hurt regardless. Probably.

But it could've been him instead.

He chose not to get hurt. To withdraw, to change nothing.

He pushed himself off the en and sank down to one knee, bowing his head to his father and Clan Head. In that position, the fat of his stomach kept him from bending too far forward. It hurt. He was just so hungry. But that hunger felt a lot like fear. And anger. And guilt. That hunger reached his hands and feet. It coursed.

"I, Akimichi Chōji, the Sixteenth Head of the Akimichi Clan, request intensive training from you, the Fifteenth Head of the Akimichi Clan." He lifted his head and tried not to acknowledge the tears on his cheeks. They felt heavy. "I don't want to forfeit like that again. Even if it's against a jinchūriki."

Chōji could smell the smoke before Asuma arrived, no cigarette in sight. The smell just seemed to cling to him. Like some sort of cloak. The man fell into the bench next to him, throwing an arm over the back.

"You guys okay?"

"No." Shikamaru said flatly.

Ino pressed a hand to her temple. "Not so loud."

Even with his eyes closed, not seeing the grimace on her face, Shikamaru grinned. "Nope." He popped the 'p' with such force that Ino visibly shuddered. Chōji couldn't imagine how she was coping with the intensive mental training that was required of the Yamanaka. It was a wonder she was conscious.

"You're being vindictive today."

"He's the most vindictive among us," Chōji commented around a piece of meat. Shikamaru didn't deny it.

"Chōji, how's clan training coming?" Asuma jumped in, trying to curb a waste-of-time conversation. "Chōza was just deployed for a mission today, wasn't he?"

Chōji shook his head. "Business trip to the capital. I've upped my caloric intake by 5,000. We're doubling again next week." He'd be ready by then. It would be fine.

Shikamaru's head rose from where it was uncomfortably leant back against the bench seat. "Say what? Upping by 10,000 in two weeks. Is that clan-sanctioned?"

In his head, Chōji cursed. Sometimes, he really hated that his best friend was a genius. Shikamaru had near perfect recall, which meant that he could remember the limitations of calorie-loading when Chōji ranted about it in the past. Chōji held his stare before shrugging, fishing a piece of chicken from the grill. It was a non-answer.

"Yeah." Ino's brows scrunched together. "They had Miho on a six-week 10,000 increase when we were ten, remember? Had to spread it out."

He forgot about that. He forgot that they would remember that.

Chōji shrugged again but didn't answer. Instead, he changed the subject. "Miho's still at the hospital."

The look they both sent him was scathing in its dullness. It was the same stare, as if questioning whether or not he thought they were stupid. He just stuffed another piece of meat in his mouth and tried to focus on the marinade. Soy and brown sugar and tomatoes? Next to him, Asuma shifted. And really, Chōji couldn't blame him. He was seeing the full brunt of Shikamaru and Ino's disapproval. They weren't going to give in so easily, so Chōji reached for a piece of pork.

His chopsticks were met by another pair of chopsticks.

Shocked, he looked up to see Ino's stare.

"You're overdoing it." He frowned, irritated at her interruption. No one came between an Akimichi and their food. No one. "Stop, Ino."

"I'm overdoing it? You're the one who's overdoing it! You think we haven't noticed? If you keep this up, you'll kill yourself from eating and then who's gonna protect Miho? Then who's gonna—"

Chōji slapped her chopsticks out of the way, grabbing the piece of pork. She scoffed, slamming the chopsticks to the table and sitting back in her seat, crossing her arms. She shot Shikamaru a glare as Chōji held up the meat with a mocking scowl, trying to reign in his anger.

"I have to eat, Ino. Just knock it off and let me make my own decisions."

"I never said—"

"You'll end up in the hospital at this rate. That's fine. It means I'll visit multiple people in one go." The less work for me was in Shikamaru's tone. Chōji tried not to grimace as the pork turned to rubber in his mouth as he chewed. Shikamaru's stare moved to Asuma, who'd been watching the whole exchange with something like exasperation.

"It's dull but I'm making progress."

Asuma nodded warily, obviously unsure what to make of the atmosphere at the table.

Chōji shoveled some rice into his mouth and felt a kunai stab the back of his throat. Without thinking, he swallowed down the rice and felt it gurgle. A sharp pain pierced his chest, just above his heart. Then, another. He gasped, swallowing again to try to get the bits of rice down. Chōji could hear Ino asking him questions and Shikamaru's concern.

But it hurt.

It hurt so much.

Was this what it felt like?

Did anything compare?

Miho— the her there— she was so hurt and scared then. When the winds came for her. And then when the— And Lee's bones shattering. Crack.

"— hospital."

"No! No, I don't need to go to the hos—" The pain made him stop talking as he doubled-over. Nothing seemed to help. He gasped. No movement or pressure. Chōji wanted to cry. He was stronger than this. He had to be stronger than this. It was only a stomach ache. It'd pass. He gasped in another breath and held it. It'd pass.

"Alright. That's enough. We're going to the hospital."

* * *

The room was darkened, drapes pulled together over the midday light. Miho stared at the sunbeams that somehow made it through the curtains, scattering on a glass of water that sat on the beside table. Shifting in her chair, she settled down further and leaned her head back into the cushion. On the bed, Lee didn't move. He never did. It seemed so much longer than it had before, then and there. Lee had been unconscious for a lifetime, Miho was sure. That's why it seemed so dark, even with the sun fighting its way through.

"Sunflower, you need to go home. Get some rest and eat. Train."

Gai-sensei was on the other side of the bed, holding tightly to Lee's hand. Miho glanced up at him, trying not to be frustrated by the nickname. He and Lee called her that every so often, "a sunflower with good senses." Her 'good sense' hadn't led to anything good. It led to Lee in the same hospital bed, with worse injuries than before. Two shattered legs, squeezed to a pulp. Not an arm and a leg. And two weeks of unconsciousness from the trauma.

She wasn't a "sunflower with good senses."

She was kudzu.

She choked the life out of things.

"I'm not leaving, Gai-sensei. Besides, I brought things to read."

She held up the scroll, a bear etching clear on the back.

"Okuda techniques need space. You cannot practice them inside."

Miho sighed, shaking her head. "I'm learning the theory first." And she'd been learning the theory for two weeks, with almost every waking hour. Every hour spent by Lee's bed, she'd spent studying the theory of Okuda techniques. It wasn't making any more sense than it had when she'd first opened the scrolls.

Gai-sensei was quiet, not responding for the longest time.

She wondered if he didn't like the air as much as she did. The air in the hospital was too cold and too humid, too much like what she imagined a morgue to feel like. It stuck to her skin, to her arms and legs. It'd been days since she'd last taken a shower. She figured the air of the hospital was clinging to her like a second skin.

"Your brother was admitted an hour ago."

She shot to her feet. They tingled and felt hot in her sandals. "He what?"

Gai-sensei stared at her, eyes hardening. "You cannot protect everyone, Miho. Sometimes, the injuries that others suffer are theirs alone. You cannot control them and you cannot stop them." She stilled, feeling oddly disconnected. She didn't feel anything except how hot her feet felt.

Maybe she'd been at Lee's bedside for too long.

"Uzumaki Naruto is in the hospital as well. He was admitted two hours ago."

Miho did feel her heart stop. But then, had it been beating in the first place? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure until she felt it thrum in her chest. Her hands were tingling as she set the scroll on the table by Lee's head. He didn't move.

Gai-sensei moved around the bed to rest a heavy hand on her shoulder. Whenever the man was somber and level, he almost seemed regal. Miho noticed that so many years ago, when he'd given her the weights. When he'd told her of the honor she carried with her, in those weights. He was so incredibly strong that it was almost hard to grasp. She let her shoulders sag, turning to look up to him.

"I will stay with Lee for a while. Go visit your brothers. Go home and eat, rest, and train. Lee will be fine. He'll be safe."

But Gai didn't know.

He didn't know that Gaara was coming for him, was coming for Lee's blood.

Miho felt mechanical. A mechanical being in a bodysuit with a hospital film around her body like a shroud. She nodded.

What else could she do? It was Chōji. It was Naruto.

Careful not to jostle the bed, she leant down to grasp Lee's still hand and press a kiss to his forehead. "I'm going to check on Chōji and Naruto, Lee. I'll be back before you know it." She squeezed his hand and stepped back, tilting her head back to keep the tears at bay. "Gai-sensei, please protect him."

"Of course. Miho, he will not come to harm here."

She nodded again, but her head swam as she moved.

The hospital halls felt foreign, empty and desolate. She'd never wondered why the extended-stay portion of the hospital was so deserted, but it was with the frightening realization that it was a place of lost hope. Only a few patients survived languishing in the hospital. Ever since Lady Tsunade left, mortality rates had increased. She'd seen the numbers in the archives.

The thought made her sick.

Lee was in the Death Corridor, even if he wasn't terminal.

"Room 211," the nurse drawled. She didn't even look up from the file she was examining. "And don't let him eat anything."

Room 211 was around the corner and down the hall. She'd been in the neighboring room a couple times— heat exhaustion at the Academy marathon, a sprained wrist, a fractured ankle. It was the short-stay portion of the hospital, and it somehow felt livelier.

When she slid the door open, she felt something sharp pierce her stomach.

Ino was standing on the other side of Chōji's bed, back to him as she held her shaking hands aloft, in the signature style of the Yamanaka. Near the window, Gaara was holding his head. His sand lashed and twisted and cut around the room, slashing at the walls. Chōji was up on his knees in the bed, eyes impossibly wide and frightened. His head turned and he held his arm out.

A fruit basket was scattered on the floor.

"Stay back, Miho!"

Ino felt to one knee and Miho darted forward to catch her as she collapsed, pushing the fear to the back of her mind as Gaara came back to consciousness. Chōji shifted, moving to Ino's other side from the bed. The sand withdrew to linger behind Gaara at the window, dull eyes moving to stare at the new presence. Miho shifted Ino in her arms and stared back him, unwavering.

It was like staring at a tornado from only a few feet away.

"This is a hospital. Unless you're hurt or visiting, leave."

"I'll kill you." Gaara responded, sand settling a bit behind him. "I'll kill her, for getting in my head. I'll kill him and that other weird kid, too." As if he was commenting on the weather. It'd been what she'd anticipated for weeks. "I'll kill you all."

Weeks of sitting at Lee's beside, waiting. Knowing that he would arrive.

Seeing it, over and over, in her mind.

The sand coursing over Lee's body, over the bedsheets.

But Naruto and Shikamaru and this was wrong.

Miho nodded, forcing her body not to quiver. "Yeah, I know you want to, and I know you could."

He's a monster right now, Miho. Don't tempt him. Ino's voice ricocheted in her head, bouncing around like the cold air in a hospital room. Miho shivered. She sounded so weak. So weak from dealing with all of this. All of the terror and pressure and fear and Miho hadn't been there. She'd been hiding, by Lee's side, and calling it 'friendship.' He's going after Lee next. Wanted to finish off Chōji first.

Miho shifted Ino's weight to Chōji and met his eyes for the briefest moment before standing, positioning herself in front of both. Her legs weren't nearly meaty enough to hide them or shield them from view. She wished they were. She wished she was big enough.

"Why do you want to kill us?"

He didn't react to the question, the sand lapping at his heels. She waited, knowing that the next few minutes, the next few words, would mean life or death. Gai-sensei had been there before, to 'scare' Gaara away. That wouldn't be the case here, would it?

He wanted to feel something. He needed to feel something. That's what all this was about.

"Killing you will make her happy. Then, I can feel."

You'd thinking killing people would make them like you! But it doesn't! It just makes people dead. Miho flinched at the grating voice in her head. She shoved it out and away, like always. Something from then and there. Her eyes narrowed as Gaara's left hand twitched at his side.

Miho nodded. She couldn't tell whether or not the response made him pause or not. She was waiting for someone, anyone to show up. Surely Asuma-sensei would visit his own languishing student. Damn it.

Sometimes, she felt like that when she ate. Like she could feel.

It was a poor transitive, but it was all she had.

Nevermind the fact that she was trying to relate to a boy who endured so much.

I want to be a real boy.

She could never understand.

Maybe it was better to just say that up front. Maybe it was better to be honest.

"I don't know how you feel. I can't, but I don't think killing us will make you feel anything. Not really. It'll make you feel powerful for a bit. And then, it'll just feel…empty again." She felt Ino's hand on her ankle, thin fingers wrapping around her leg guard. A warning. Gaara's attention flickered down to the contact, ridges where his brows should be drawing together.

Miho's tensed.

Asuma-sensei and Genma-sensei are coming. Keep him steady.

Ino had already strained herself too much. She'd called for help, using a skill she wasn't meant to develop for years. How did she— Miho felt Chōji rise up next to her, angling his body slightly in front of hers.

"Your father was a poor example of a father. He should've never done any of that to you. You shouldn't have been made to suffer, to feel worthless. Or to feel nothing, to save yourself." Miho instinctively grabbed Chōji's arm when he stepped forward. Fear lurched in her stomach. He was saying too much, too much that he shouldn't know.

The Chōji that turned to her was a different one from a few weeks ago.

He stepped fully in front of her, moving his feet shoulder-width apart.

"I'm sorry that your village and family treated you that way. They shouldn't've. It wasn't right. It's not right. You deserved better."

He had to know that Gaara could kill all three of them without effort. All it would take would be a small bit of sand, a wave of his hand. He was that powerful. Still, Chōji blocked her and blocked Ino. A penetrable wall. A penetrable wall that was trying to reach Gaara.

"You deserved a chance."

Gaara stared before wincing, eyes going wide. His hands went to his head. Miho's grip tightened on Chōji's arm. Shukaku was talking to him, yelling at him. Telling him all the ways he was worthless or shrieking for their death. Shrieking for their blood. Shukaku was taking advantage.

"Don't listen to it, Gaara. It's not who you think it is."

The sand lashed and rose up behind him, blocking out the midday light like a glass curtain. Miho felt disconnected, like the hospital was some kind of weird in-between space. And in that strange in-between world, she could do nothing to stop Gaara. It seemed all of this was a nightmare. A waking one, in the wrong room. She angled a bit, feeling Ino and Chōji tense.

"Good to see all you kids gettin' to know each other."

She jolted, looking toward the door where Genma-sensei stood with Asuma-sensei at his shoulder. His hands were tucked into his pockets and he lazily rolled the senbon to the corner of his lips. Miho didn't ease her stance, muscles still tensed and primed to move.

"Kid, if you really wanna get to know two Akimichi, you gotta take 'em out to lunch or dinner or breakfast. Heck, give 'em a snack. Otherwise, you really don't have their attention." Genma shifted and she could feel the energy of the room accommodate him somehow. The air felt more breathable, like it had actual substance. Her teacher was there. It would be alright. It would be okay. "Best get on your way if you don't have snacks, kid."

"Yeah, I bet your team is wonderin' where you got off to." Asuma's threat was clear.

The sand lashed around and then died down, filtering back into the gourd on Gaara's back. His expression didn't change, but she could still sense the grudging, seething anger. His shoulders shrugged a bit before he turned on his heel, moving toward the door. Genma-sensei and Asuma-sensei moved further into the room as Gaara passed them.

Miho watched as he angled himself at the door, casting his eyes to Chōji first and then to her. She met them, and cringed. "You have the same eyes as I do..." Softer eyes superimposed on cold, hate-filled emptiness. Eyes that saw hurt and pain and so much loneliness, but who found solace. She remembered. She remembered that. Him. She kept that memory, somehow.

"I will kill you."

He was gone.

He wasn't done, she knew. He'd go for Lee next. As soon as his presence disappeared from the door, Miho turned and ran to Asuma, stumbling when her hip struck the bed. She caught herself and righted, grabbing at his arm. "He'll go for Lee next."

"You can't kn—"

"You good, Miho?"

Miho nodded, looking to Genma-sensei as he jerked his head toward the door. "Gai-sensei is there. Probably Naruto and Shikamaru too, but—"

"We'll go check it out, Miho. Settle down." Her teacher's expression was nothing to be trifled with as he shifted the senbon between his teeth. "Then, you and me'll have a long talk about squaring up to a jinchūriki a second time. Please, for the sake of my hair, don't go for a hat trick. I'm beggin' you."

Miho shifted her weight from one leg to the other, glancing toward the door.

"Alright, alright. And then, just to top it all off Little Lady, we'll talk about healthy coping mechanisms."

She flinched as he disappeared, Asuma right behind him, with a rather perplexed look on his face. Miho felt the nerves in her veins and stomach settle a bit. Genma-sensei and Asuma-sensei and Gai-sensei, they'd all protect Lee. Gai-sensei was enough there and then. They'd protect Naruto and Shikamaru, too.

It would be fine.

What she'd been waiting for…It'd be fine.

It'd be fine.

"Speaking of healthy coping mechanisms: your brother ate himself into the hospital, in case you were wondering." Ino grounded out from where she'd sat heavily on the edge of the bed. She waved her hand, using the other to brush her short hair from her face. With a huff, she shot Chōji a scathing glare. "He upped his calorie count by 10,000."

Miho felt chills down her spine when she looked at her brother, whose arms were crossed across his slightly broader chest. He was staring at a random off-pattern spot on the linoleum. She knew this mannerism. He was angry. Angry at Ino? Or... "Ten thousand?"

Chōji didn't look at her. "It's part of my training." He squeezed his eyes shut before gesturing unseeingly at Ino. "Besides, she's guilty too. She's got a migraine, but she's not saying anything."

"That's because I can deal with it! You're overtaxing your body."

"And you're not?" Chōji spun around, hands going to his hips. Miho could've sworn she'd seen a flash of her father in that movement. "You think that me and Shikamaru don't know? You've been overdoing it too. We're all overdoing it! Shikamaru's actually sleeping at meetings. He never actually sleeps at those things." He then turned to Miho, meeting her eyes. Miho tried not to flinch when he pointed at her. "And you have too."

"I have—"

"Don't say that you haven't. It's been two weeks. You leave the hospital for missions. That's it. You're never at home. You're not training. You're not eating like you should, only barely meeting your calorie counts. You thinkthis is what Lee would want?! You think Lee would be proud of this?!"

Miho recoiled. Chōji never yelled. He never raised his voice.

"And the rest of us? We're trying! We're trying to avoid what we know is coming! None of it is going to change unless we change it. Miho—" He stopped, hands dropping to his sides as they clenched into fists. Miho stayed as still as she could manage, but she was shaking. "You feel guilty for what happened to Lee. Fine. I do, too. But really, Miho, you've been hiding."

"Chōji—" Ino started, pushing herself up to stand.

"You've been hiding, Miho. From all of it. From us. From them. From everything."

"I haven't—"

"You have. Hiding behind your guilt for what happened to Lee, what could happen, what might be coming! Miho, stop. I'm begging you. Stop." Chōji lowered his head again. This time, he shook it. "I wasn't strong enough before. None of us were. But we will be. I'll be so powerful that I can move mountains. I'll be so strong that I can force reality to change." Miho watched as her brother opened his hands and stared at his palms. "Even if I have to carry every stone myself, I'll build a bridge to a future where none of that happens."

He dropped his hands again and looked up.

"I'll carry you on my back if I have to. Miho, please stop hiding here. Lee wouldn't want it. He'd want you to become so strong that you never feel powerless again. You know that. Why won't you live it?"

Because then, when all the terrible things did happen, she would've had the ability— but not enough of it.

Never enough.

Because then, there would still be people she couldn't protect.

Miho turned, pressing a hand to the wall before leaning her forehead into the cool sheetrock.

Because she was already guilty of so much.

Eventually, fate would come to collect—just as Destiny came for Lee.

Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives all the same.

Her entire body twitched. She knew there was no hiding from the Story. The Story would come, regardless of what she tried. The Story would sow and reap at its will, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was like a river.

Don't say it. Don't you say it.

No matter how rivers are stopped, they still find a way through. They still find a path.

The Story was going to find a path.

She pressed her eyes shut.

She could still hear Lee's screams.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she felt herself being turned into a chest. Chōji's arms wrapped around her shoulders and she pressed her face into his shoulder. It felt as if he'd grown inches in just a few days. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn't. But he felt bigger. More grown.

He jostled her a bit as he spoke. "Everything will be okay. It will. We're gonna keep getting stronger, Miho. Me and you. All of us. And then, we're going to make it right."

Never break the-

"AHHHHH!"

Even as she nodded, she kept seeing Lee behind the lids of her eyes. As she had for weeks. The sand winding up his legs. The pressure. She could feel it around her heart. The screams. He stood, unconscious. Hand raised and waiting. He fought, regardless. He fought, against the onslaught. And Gaara was just that: an onslaught, a disaster and a slaughter given form.

The last disaster she'd faced- it killed her.

* * *

"When I said we needed to talk about healthy coping mechanisms, this isn't what I meant."

Genma-sensei leaned against the tree, crossing his arms. Miho watched from where she sat, feet pressed together and hands resting on her knees in the traditional way of the Akimichi. They were on one of the Akimichi training grounds, as far away as they could get from others. Her eyes slid shut and she focused on her chakra, centered in her gut.

"The boys've been complainin' for days. I had to give 'em a bone or they'll chew through everything." He scoffed at his own joke and Miho felt herself smiling, imagining Koji and Tetsuya trailing after Genma-sensei like puppies. Adorable puppies. Tetsuya was the yippy one. Miho grinned to herself. "Hayate's got a hell of a lot of patience. He's already got Tetsuya eating out of his hand—the traitor."

Miho's eyes popped open.

"Hayate? Hayate Gekkō?"

Genma-sensei grinned around his senbon and nodded. "I got him trainin' Tetsuya. Full-on apprentice deal, without the apprenticeship 'cause Tetsuya's gotta be a chūnin for that. Soon enough though. Hayate's one hell of a teacher." He shrugged his shoulders. "He's got patience for days. He'll need it for Tetsuya. We'll make a kenjutsu specialist of him yet."

Miho waited for her teacher to come back around to how he planned to keep Hayate alive, but Genma-sensei never did. He just looked up at the fluffy white clouds overhead. She followed his line-of-sight to a particularly large white cloud in the distance. From that hill on Akimichi clan lands, you could see for miles. To the horizon over the trees.

"Meditation isn't what I meant when I was talking about coping."

"Seems healthy enough." Miho sighed, still holding the pose. "Healthier than what I was doing before. Since…Lee. Chōji made me see I was—"

"Hiding? Yeah, I figured he would eventually. It kinda had to be him."

Her eyes squeezed shut. "Why didn't you— and the guys—"

"That sort of stuff takes time. Despite what they seem like most times, the boys are wiser than that. They don't even know the extra layers here. They just knew you needed time. I know better than anyone what that's like." He pulled the senbon from his mouth and gestured toward the scroll by her knee right knee. "Looks like you've figured something out though."

Miho reached down and opened the scroll, holding it open for him to see. He let out a low whistle, nodding his head appreciatively. Her lips pressed together and she lowered the open scroll to the grass, shifting heavily onto her knees. Her hand trailed over the symbols, over the kanji.

Her birth father's name. Her birth mother's name beside his.

"Did you ever meet them? The Bears? When you worked with him?"

"Sure did. Good sort. They've got their own ways. When you decide to do it, you need to go into it prepared to fulfill whatever they ask for." He pushed off the tree and knelt down, taking hold of the scroll's edge so that he could read the rough script. "The Bears are notoriously difficult to please, but they're fiercely protective of their summoners and their own. The Okuda held their summoning scroll for nearly a thousand years. Even before the nations rose up."

Miho's grip on the scroll tightened before she nodded. Pulling a kunai from her side pack, she lay the blade on her thumb and pressed it into the skin. The blood ran from her thumb to her wrist, dripping onto the grass. The blood of her friends had already spilt too much.

It was time for her blood to be in the inkwell, too.

"You're sure this is what you want to do? You don't have to take up the Bears. You can let their scroll lie."

Miho nodded. "I…want to. I have to try. If they decide not to let me be their summoner, then I'll find another way to keep growing, Genma-sensei. But I don't want to be stagnate anymore. I don't want to be powerless again." She chewed on her lower lip before nodding again with more finality, brushing her mass of wild black curls from her face when the wind swept them there. "I had a lot of time to think in that hospital room. Watching Lee breathe. Thinking about the things I can't change. And the things I can." Miho raised her bleeding hand. "I can change a lot and I can't change a lot. But I can do my best regardless."

She saw Genma-sensei swallow before he nodded as well, eyeing the scroll. "You wanted me here to guide you through a summoning, not to help you learn to meditate." He let out a pathetic sigh, palming his forehead. "I must have 'sucker' written on my forehead." Miho frowned, not seeing why he felt bad about this. "I'll support you signing with the Bears."

He gestured toward a symbol at the middle of the scroll.

"Sign your name in blood here." He pointed the open spot just under her birth parents' names. "Pulse your chakra into it. About a third of your chakra reserves. That should draw out the Boss, but…I don't know what comes after that, Miho. It could be anything."

She nodded, pressing her hand over the kanji of her scrawled name. The first Akimichi in a line of Okuda. Her chakra sank into the seal and she pressed it further, feeling it draw from her skin, her muscles, her bones. Her fat. It fell into the seal and then exploded, pushing her back onto her backside.

Out of the smoke, a large brown bear stood on its hind legs as the grey smoke dissipated. Miho didn't scuttle away, even if she wanted to, the bear towered as tall as an oak tree. Gray hakama covered its hind legs. Its narrowed black eyes looked around to find her.

"Who are you to summon a Bear, little human?" His voice boomed, like the slow roll of thunder over and between mountains.

Miho hurried to stand, leaning forward to bow deeply before the Bear. She fortified herself as best she could. "I'm Akimichi Miho. I would like a contract with the Bears."

The Bear rumbled a great laugh, a paw going to his rounded stomach. "The Bears know no summoners but the Okuda, who have held our scroll for a thousand years, little human."

Miho rose up, looking up to meet the Bear's eyes. They were sharp, but not cruel or reprimanding. She tried to find the right words, but settled for: "I am the daughter of Okuda Keisuke."

Two forepaws landed in the grass on either side of her and the ground shook as the Bear lurched forward, its large head within inches of her. Miho held her breath as fear thrilled through her stomach. She could feel the vibrations of the Bear's growling. She stood very still as his great snout landed on her shoulder. He heaved in a big breath and drew away, eyes settling on her face.

"Yes, Okuda Keisuke is your father. I can smell him. I can smell Chisato. Yes, little human. Our legacy of serving the Okuda and their kin lives on, indeed. But first, a name and a test and a lesson."

The Bear settled back on his hakama-covered haunches, forepaws resting on his bended hind legs. "I am Ki, the Great Bear. I am the Thunder Bear. I am the Bear of the Center Mountain." He gestured toward where Genma-sensei was standing. "Who is that, little human?"

"My teacher, Lord Ki, Shiranui Genma."

The Bear made a thoughtful noise. "You wish a partnership with the Bears, Akimichi Miho. Why? We're not a summon that lightly gives its loyalty. We do not trade. We do not barter. We do not negotiate. The Snakes trade knowledge. The Slugs trade chakra. The Toads, the Hawks, the Lizards, the Cats. Each ask for something in return for their partnership. We do not. Do you know why?"

Miho thought, trying to remember the things she read that Akimichi Chisato scribbled in her notes. But then, she thought of the old stories her father used to tell. The story about the Bear and his family and the lengths one bear went to in protection of them. The song was sung from time-to-time, a folktale about family trust and patience.

"Because you are protectors first and foremost. That's why you've always worked with the Okuda. They're— We're considered family."

Ki nodded. "Indeed, cub. Indeed. And we do not take kindly to interlopers." The boss of the Bears turned to Genma-sensei and bared his teeth, raising a large paw. He went to slam it forward, to strike her teacher down. She saw Genma-sensei recoil a bit.

No, this was her fault.

Miho felt her heart jump into her throat and sped over to place herself between Lord Ki and her teacher. She was between them before his paw moved more than a few inches. Genma-sensei made an impressed sound, but otherwise didn't move or react. He could have gotten out of the way in time. Miho held up both hands, bowing down to avert her eyes.

"Lord Ki, I did not mean to offend by having my teacher present! I've never attempted to summon before. I did not want to do it wrong. Please do not blame him. I apologize."

She glanced up. The Great Bear looked down his long snout before baring his teeth in what must've been a smile. His growling voice sounded amused. "The Bears protect their own. Look up, cub. Look up now. Look into my eyes."

Miho raised her head and the Great Bear lowered himself down onto all four paws. She looked up and met his eyes, feet moving shoulder-width apart and shoulder rolling back.

"You will be our summoner, Akimichi Miho."

Before Miho could react, another bear appeared. This one was much smaller that the Great Bear Boss. Its fur was a light golden brown, like brown sugar or the crust of a cookie. It shined. The smaller bear settled onto its haunches, looking between Miho and the Great Bear for some kind of context.

"This is Shinrin. She will be your personal summon. Shinrin, this is Akimichi Miho. She is—"

"Lady Chisato's cub." Shinrin breathed out. "Oh, Lord Keisuke's cub." Running forward, the bear dragged Miho into a heavy paw-ed hug. Miho gaped and gasped at the weight, looking to the Great Bear and Genma-sensei for guidance. Neither reacted. She shouldered the weight as well as she could, holding the bear aloft.

"A strong cub, you are." Lord Ki noted with a laugh. "To carry Shinrin's weight unaided."

"Oh, my Lady Miho, I was a little cub when Lady Chisato and Lord Keisuke died. I thought I should never meet their cub. They— They decorated your nursery in little bears. They said those little bears were drawings of me. Oh, my Lady Miho. I am your summon now. It is only right. I'm Shinrin, my Lady Miho. I am always going to be here for you. Always and forever."

Miho embraced the bear back as Shinrin look her own weight again. She squeezed her eyes shut with the strength of the hug. It only seemed right. It seemed like what was natural for all the feeling that was in Shinrin's embrace. Miho sank into the bear's fur, loosing her balance a bit with it. Shinrin's paws sat her upright.

"What is your goal, cub?" Miho's attention turned to the boss summon again, who watched the exchange with tired, kind eyes. Like the eyes of a grandfather watching the younger generation learn and grow. She'd seen that expression on Elder Torifu's face more than once. "What is it you aim to accomplish by taking up our contract?"

Miho stepped forward, out of Shinrin's shadow. She glanced to Genma-sensei before raising her chin. He nodded encouragingly. "I want to protect the people I care about to the best of my ability and shield them from as much hurt as I can. I want to make a difference." She rolled her shoulders and squared them. "The Bears can train their summoners as well, to make them stronger, to help them protect the clan. I want to do this. To grow stronger, to protect my own."

The Great Boss nodded, baring his great teeth. "A worthy endeavor, cub. The Bears will help you in that goal. The Bears have many strengths, strengths you shall learn. Together, we will protect our own. Shinrin will stay with you and describe the responsibilities that come with our contract. Then she will return and you will summon her again. At that time, your training with the Bears will begin. I will learn of your strengths and your weaknesses, cub."

The Great Bear nodded again and disappeared.

Miho looked to Shinrin, who smiled a bit sadly. She ambled up and edged at Miho's elbow with her snout. "My Lady Miho, let us get to know each other. I will tell you all you should know. I will tell you all of our stories. I will tell you stories of Lord Keisuke and Lady Chisato. I will tell you lots." Looking to where Genma-sensei stood, she watched as he raised his hands and grinned. "This is your teacher?"

"Shiranui Genma. It's nice to meet you, Shinrin. Please take good care of my student."

"I'll take good care of you both, as well as anyone else my Lady Miho considers 'hers'." The bear's voice was soft and sweet, like honey. There was a hard edge there, too. Like the points of her incisors biting into every word. "And I'll rip out the throats of those that harm hers. I'd like very much to bite the throat of the masked one that killed Lord Keisuke."

The bear fell to all fours, baring her teeth as if a ghost stood under the nearby trees.

"One that…" Genma-sensei's eyes widened.

Miho fisted her hands at her sides, turning to the bear. "Shinrin…Who-Who are you talking about? What 'masked one'?"

* * *

**A/N:** Finally, the Bears have arrived and I've moved! Everything went relatively well! I'm now getting settled in and handling all of the fun affairs that come with relocation. Still, I've been working on this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Your reviews, favorites, and follows have made my days brighter! Thank you for taking the time to read and engage with this fic! I'm having so much fun writing it!


	16. Part I: Plot Twist

The plan was simple.

The plan just got complicated.

And Yamashiro Aoba needed a drink.

As best they could tell, the Hokage's previous fight with Orochimaru didn't curb the upcoming invasion. Which meant that they needed hard evidence and/or irrefutable testimony that an invasion was coming. Something to take to the Hokage. Something to kick countermeasures into gear.

From Miho's memories (or visions, or whatever it could be called that lingered in the girl's head), it was Gekkō that found that evidence, that testimony. It was Gekkō that had the key to stopping the invasion.

Then, he was killed.

So, this plan avoided that situation altogether.

It'd work and, maybe just maybe, it'd keep Gekkō alive long enough to see his wedding day.

After all, Aoba already had a down payment on the party room above the Twisted Shuriken for the stag party. That was non-refundable. Organizing so many different schedules in even getting that date settled was an absolute pain. Hell, getting Gekkō to even go for a drink was a pain. No way was Aoba gonna let him get out of it.

But, as good as the plan was, really, Genma was a shit actor.

Aoba just barely resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands as Genma dramatically fell into jōnin command, grasping at his shredded flak jacket. His trademark senbon was missing, along with a pretty large chunk of meat from his right thigh. As the on-duty jōnin hopped up to help their bleeding comrade, Aoba shot out of his chair.

He'd give Genma this much: he committed.

He hadn't anticipated that much damage. Hell, how much did he pay his summons?

"Commander!" He turned on his heel, with as close to a convincing expression as he could manage to get. Shock, concern. "We've got a problem!"

"Suna…Suna…" Genma wheezed, collapsing to his knees with a grunt. "Those Suna bastards…"

His expression was controlled, but he was affecting a bit of worry and fear in his eyes. True Genma characterization, there. Just underneath the surface. Aoba flinched, trying not to roll his eyes. Thank Kami and all the good and wonderful things in the world he decided to wear sunglasses as a trademark. Otherwise, they'd be screwed.

As if they weren't already.

Nara Shikaku appeared at the head of the large assembly room, flickering down to Genma's side. Genma— for his part— sold it with a particularly pained yelp as he was lowered to the floor by a fretting Raidō. And Raidō was normally a pretty cool guy, being a top-notch assassin. Apparently Genma's little show was hitting a trigger.

It was with a sick sort of feeling that Aoba remembered that it was Raidō that found his team captain eviscerated during the Third Shinobi War. From what he could remember, the gouge was in a similar location to Genma's wound. Died from blood loss.

Genma reached for Shikaku's forearm, grasping it. With desperation. His making physical contact must've punctuated something to the Nara because his features became more severe. "Suna's gonna invade." Something must've gotten caught in his throat because he fell into a completely real cough.

It looked just a little too real.

Drawing himself up, Aoba approached, trying to affect the best impression of concern he could muster. He acted as if Genma was broadcasting, recoiling a bit as if an errant through struck him like a jutsu. Shikaku looked up, catching the movement—as they expected he would.

"He saw a meeting between Suna's lead jōnin and a representative of Orochimaru. There's— There's an invasion coming."

"Raidō, get Genma to the hospital. Aoba, get a read. Now. We need to get moving. Everyone here, no word out until you receive orders. Understood?" There was an affirmative, people stepping back to give them some room. Shikaku stood, moving away from Genma's side while Aoba took his place, holding a hand above Genma's forehead. Aoba felt the ANBU appear. He recognized them, even with the ANBU get-up.

She really should be grateful. He was saving her fiancé, after all.

Genma's eyes were screwed shut, but his mind was whirring. Aoba could feel it. It was like a nest of bees. Like the Academy after a visit from the Hokage. Like a battle and a festival. As soon as his palm touched his friend's forehead, he gasped. On instinct, he slapped Gemna's mental manifestation.

And he didn't feel bad about it. Not one bit. The jerk deserved it.

"What the hell, Aoba?"

"I hate you and I hate this stupid plan."

"You liked it fine last night."

"Go to hell."

"It's gonna work."

"You remember that raid outside of—"

"This is nothing like that, man." Genma huffed, slipping a senbon between his teeth. Even in his mind, the man was fixated. "That was a spur of the moment plan. This is…Well, it's not so sudden at least." Sold. Perfect sell. Aoba totally bought that. Rolling his eyes, he shifted his weight to his other leg and crossed his arms. "I think it's pretty smart."

"'Pretty smart' isn't going to be enough for Nara Shikaku."

"It's his son's plan, so…" Genma shrugged. "Look. Obviously, I'm not exactly enthused with this. It's gonna land me in the hospital. I'm gonna be placed on medical leave. It's gonna involve reports. Reports I can't even have my kid write. Oh well, ya know? Nothin' here is gonna be perfect."

"I'm not asking for 'perfect,' you idiot. I'm asking for semi-coherent."

Aoba could feel the franticness seeping into his tone, but he schooled his features. Because he was cool like that. Because he was a badass. Whatever freak-out he wanted to have, he could and would do it at home. Here, he was gonna be awesome, unflappable. Period.

"What's the plan from here? There're gonna know as soon as they send you to Inoichi."

Why would they send me to Inoichi when you're confident you pulled all the relevant information from me before I fell into unconsciousness from my grievous wounds? Genma's lips didn't move except to pull into a smirk.

Aoba didn't consider himself a violent man, his work as an assassin notwithstanding, so his urge to maim Genma was a heady mixture of rage and incredulity.

"That's what they're hearing from me, huh?"

Genma just shrugged and Aoba sighed, resignedly withdrawing from his friend's (loose terminology there also notwithstanding) head. As he withdrew, he forced Genma's mind into a meditative state. It seemed to be a deep unconsciousness to all observers. And if he left a few thoughts about dream rats in Genma's head to haunt his dreams, well then…Aoba stood, pressing his hands into his face to steady himself.

"Aoba. Report."

"Genma was tailing Yakushi Kabuto on a hunch. Heard him speaking with Baki of Suna about an upcoming invasion. Yakushi Kabuto is Orochimaru's right hand." Aoba followed Nara Shikaku through the halls of headquarters, toward the pass-through to the Intelligence Division. "Suna will betray Konoha on the day of the finals. They are pairing with Sound." He bit his lip, barely keeping himself from throwing out too many details. "Genma was attacked by Baki of Suna, but made it out alive."

"Is Suna aware of his survival?" Shikaku's voice was sharp. The voice of a man that was revered on the battlefield. Aoba was reminded why he thought the Commander was The Coolest.

"They aren't. Genma used his Still Death poison. Faked his death and made it here without being seen. As far as they know, we're unaware."

Which was what happened— only, to Gekkō. To disastrous ends.

Shikaku nodded, striding into Yamanaka Inoichi's office. Aoba's direct boss stood, shooting him a look as if to ask 'what the hell kind of trouble did you land yourself in this time?' to which Aoba had no reply. "Come on. The day just got busy."

Aoba didn't huff or sigh. Visibly, physically. But he did resolve to pay Genma back for this. Because this 'plan' of theirs? The Nara kid's genius plan? Genma's execution of the faked attack? They didn't have to do the real work of it. He did.

As soon as those brats could buy alcohol, Aoba was going to collect.

* * *

"My Lady Miho, you are strong. Very strong. Strong-strong like a Bear. I can see the Okuda Clan in you, my Lady. The Okuda were very strong. Strong, strong indeed."

Miho felt the sweat pouring down the sides of her face and clinging onto the longest curls in her ponytail as she let go of the weight. It crashed to the ground, sending up plumes of dust into the blue sky over Training Ground #5. Miho paced, shaking out her arms and stretching her back.

"The Okuda Clan birthed the strongest of the strong in the nations, even before the nations. When the Sage walked the Earth, the Okuda were lifting mountains and shifting lands. The Sage met the first Okuda. 'Okuda,' he said, 'how did you become so strong?' And the First Okuda said, 'I draw my power from the storm.'" Shinrin's voice was affecting gravity, as much as her sweet cadence could muster. "So, the Sage called the First Okuda 'The Storm Lifter.' And so, it was."

Dusting herself off, Miho drew one of her yukata sleeves over her forehead to mop up the sweat. She'd done three hundred repetitions: three hundred lifts of one thousand pounds. In less than thirty minutes. The weights on her legs were still there. The weights on her arms were still there. Her muscles were burning and aching and felt as if they were about to tear off of her bones.

Miho felt alive for the first time in weeks.

Shinrin watched from the shade of the nearby trees, idly drawing a thread through a piece of fabric with her delicate claws. As she worked (on what, Miho wasn't quite sure), she told stories. Stories about the Okuda and their skills, their knowledge.

"My Lady Miho, come here. Please." The bear sat the needlework to the side and sat her claws on her haunches. Miho walked over, releasing her hair from its hold. It felt cooler when it was released, the light breeze able to hit her scalp. Shinrin reached a claw out and poked the weight on her right ankle. "The Okuda have long-used weights like these. They learned of them from another clan, a taijutsu-based clan of old. What is your weight now, my Lady Miho?"

"Six thousand pounds."

Shinrin looked up, green eyes shining happily. "You are strong, my Lady Miho. You will be stronger! Like a Bear, they will say. Like a storm." The bear reached over to grab a finished piece of needlework from the ground. "My grandmother— the Grand Old Thunder Bear, is what she is called— she taught me to do this." Miho took the proffered piece of material.

On it was a delicate pattern of outlined bears, lightning and clouds cutting their fur. She never would've expected such careful work from a bear, whose claws seemed too large to do such little details. The silk was unscathed from the claws.

"It is not that big things cannot do little work, my grandmother said. Big things must do little work better because they must be so much more careful than when little things do little work. And we're all capable of big work. It's the little work that's harder." Shinrin used the sharp point of a claw to pick at one piece of the pattern. "Pull the fabric, my Lady."

Miho did as she was told and the pattern began to unravel, pulling apart until the design was unrecognizable.

"This is the first in many lessons in the Bear Way, my Lady Miho. Patience and delicacy." She drew out a purple pouch and Miho took it, looking to her summon for explanation. The breeze picked up and it felt like relief after hours of toiling and training. "A pattern, fabric, string, and needles. When you needle the pattern, we will start the next lesson. Until then, my Lady Miho…" Shinrin smiled a wide, sharp-toothed smile before disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

"Didn't see that coming."

Jerking around, Miho rolled to her knees and pulled her naginata from her left arm guard, swinging it behind her in one swift move. Now it made sense why Shinrin glanced over her shoulder just as she disappeared. So, the bear had been aware of his presence. Miho inwardly sighed. She really needed to get better with her sensing.

He held up both gloved hands, raising his brows minutely at the defensive stance. "Didn't mean to catch you off-guard. Thought you could sense me." Kankurō lowered his hands and gestured toward the training field. "This field off-limits?"

"It's my team's field and it's booked until six."

He nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "Seems like every field is booked up today."

Blinking, Miho pushed herself up using her staff. After a long moment staring at the bandaged puppet visible over his shoulder, Miho nodded, gesturing to the field. "What's a shared training space between allies, huh?" Turning her back to him, Miho sat on the ground against her favorite oak and withdrew the needle and thread from the Bear pouch. "You sure you're here to practice or're you hear to spy?"

Kankurō scoffed, pulling the puppet from his back to set it on the ground by his side. "You really think I'm a spy dressed like this?" Miho looked up to find a grin on his painted face. "Besides, why would I wanna spy on someone who's out of the exams?" He made a vague gesture that Miho probably should've found rude. "Since you gave me a cookie, you cann't be a half-bad training-field-sharer."

"If you're really just here for another cookie, then you're out of luck."

"Training, honestly, but I won't turn down one of those cookies."

Miho nodded, not quite sure what to make of the situation. There was no way an opponent village, no matter how confident, would practice in front of a rival village shinobi. It was poor strategy. Unless he planned to 'practice' some poor techniques in order for her to report it to Shino. She kept her face void of emotion as she threaded the needle, pursing her lips with the effort. He was up to something. She just didn't know what it was.

"Strings are complicated." Kankurō stated with some amount of sympathy. "You don't strike me as a 'strings' person."

_But if you want it,_

_Here's my heart,_

_No strings attached._

She didn't look at him or acknowledge the strange synthetic beat in her head. She could feel the bass of it rattling her bones, as if it were echoing up from her feet. And she could feel her face flush with exertion. The lights were flashing. Instead, Miho focused on getting the thread through the eye of the needle.

"I am a melee fighter. I need more refining."

He scoffed, chakra threads flying from his fingers. Miho did raise her head then, to watch as the puppet came to life. She wondered, vaguely, if it moved differently in the humidity of Konoha rather than the dry heat of Suna. Maybe, one day, she could ask him. As a friend, rather than a Suna shinobi about to stage an invasion.

"Never been one for close combat." Kankurō was making conversation. Which was strange. Miho tried not to frown at the string that refused to go through the needle's eye. "I prefer keepin' my distance. Seems like that's the Aburame's style, too."

Ah, there it was. Not very subtle. Then again, Kankurō didn't seem to have a subtle bone in his body. Miho let out a sigh as the thread finally made it through and she looked up to see the puppeteer spinning through a series of puppet-centered katas.

His eyes, though, were on her.

"Shino would win a one-on-one with you, close-range or otherwise."

He stopped, puppet falling in a battle-ready position in the grass between him and where she sat. Miho stared at it, but continued to draw the threat through the needle's eye until it was in the correct position.

"That's a lot of confidence in the guy. You a little sweet on him or somethin'? I thought you had something for the weird-looking kid." Her eyes rolled, but she said nothing. "Crushes shouldn't affect your assessment of skills." His tone was like a wise older brother dispensing wisdom.

Shrugging, Miho reached for the silk and rested it on her thigh before looking back toward him again. "Go ahead and assume that." She pushed the needle into the top of the pattern and slid it through. "Your information-gathering is an area for improvement."

"Yeah, that's what I've been told." Kankurō scoffed, throwing himself into another set of katas.

"Did you try tailing Kiba? He's a loudmouth."

"He's also got that ninken."

They fell into relatively easy silence. It was a strange sort of dynamic and, honestly, Miho wasn't sure what to make of it. Kankurō, in the Images, was brash as a kid. He threatened children and seemed to be constantly riled. But, this guy was calmer. He seemed to be more at-ease than he had in the Images. She didn't know what to make of it.

Every so often, she glanced up to see him running through a move. There were no strategies, nothing she hadn't seen in the prelims.

With nearly a quarter of the needlepoint pattern completed, Miho leaned back against the tree and drew out a bag of chips, watching as he moved.

He was slow. Comparatively. She could track all of his movements.

But what he lacked in speed, he made up for in strategy and replacement.

Kankurō was a master at the replacement technique. To the point that it had almost become a game after an hour of watching.

She finally went back to her needlepoint about fifteen minutes before he stopped.

"Gaara wants to kill you."

Miho looked up to find Kankurō staring across the clearing at her. He was using a jutsu to wrap his puppet, spinning it as the bandages hovered in midair. Swallowing the lump in her throat and the nervous hunger that struck her, Miho pursed her lips and nodded. She knew that.

"Wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Why?"

She saw his painted brows lift at that blunt question. He huffed a laugh, hauling his puppet onto his back. Kankurō waved away her disbelieving tone. "You didn't have to give me a cookie." As if that explained everything. He started walking toward the main road, his back to her. "And I'll beat the Aburame, too."

No, he wouldn't. He'd forfeit.

Miho sighed and reached for her snack pile, chucking something across the clearing.

He turned and grabbed it from the air, shock clear even at that distance.

"Last one!"

Miho stayed at the training ground until night began to fall. She only just finished a third of the needlework when her fingers ached too terribly to keep pushing the needle through the silk.

Delicacy was never her strength. Now, she could see what Shinrin meant.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late!"

"You're SO late! I thought my stomach was gonna implode!"

Naruto waved from where he stood, just under the entrance of the stadium. Miho hurried up, throwing her arms around him while he flailed at the sudden embrace. She grinned into his shoulder, uncharacteristically putting weight onto him.

"Woah!" He called out, actually managing to keep balance. "What's all this about? You're not upset because of the whole hospital thing, are you? I ate the food you brought. Every bit of it."

She pulled away, patting his shoulder before playfully swatting at his stomach. He grinned as he dodged. "Good thing I've already stocked your fridge. I made a lot and you've got a ton of bread and milk." Miho ignored his squawk, turning on her heel to start walking. "Make sure you eat well tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I will. Okay." He folded his arms behind his head as they moved. "How's Chōji and Ino and Shika doing?"

It was just barely evening and Konoha was busy with life. Crowds were drawn from all over the nations to see the Chūnin Exam finals. Merchants crowded the streets and tourists were walking about on nearly every road they travelled.

It was a festival, stalls and crowds and drinking and joy.

"They're exhausted. Could barely keep their eyes open last time I saw them. Clan training has drained them. I know Shikamaru's been pretty determined for the last month, to the point that he stayed up late for the past week to learn another jutsu."

Naruto let out a low whistle, excitedly looking at shadows cast by merchant lanterns. "Think he's gonna be able to do any of that cool stuff Old Man Shikaku can do?"

Miho shrugged, but smiled. "Who knows?"

"And Ino's already scary enough. I bet she's gonna beat the hell out of her opponent."

"Considering she's got a bye…"

"She got a bye?!"

Naruto stopped in the middle of the road, looking to Miho in shock. For some reason, Miho felt a tingle crawl up her spine and she felt herself stiffen. Someone was watching. She didn't dare to look up, but she could feelit. Whoever it was— and she had a pretty good guess— was observing. It felt like pressure on the back of her neck.

"Whaddya mean she's got a bye? What happened to that weird guy from Oto?"

"He was killed." Miho jerked her head toward Ramen Ichiraku down the road. "Let's not discuss it here, okay?"

"Miho! Naruto! What're you two doing out and about?" Miho turned to see her father with Yamanaka Inoichi. They were in their mission outfits, which meant that they likely just returned from what called them away a few days before.

Which meant that they were likely as prepared as they could be for the imminent invasion.

Miho felt fear curl in her stomach as her father approached and rested a large hand on her head.

There were bags under his eyes.

Inoichi looked down at Naruto and smiled, but it didn't quite meet his haunting blue eyes. "You'll do great tomorrow, kid." He reached forward and ruffled Naruto's hair. Miho studiously kept her jaw from dropping, looking up to her father instead. "Miho, see if you can keep Ino and the boys out of trouble, will ya?"

"If Ino can't keep them out of trouble, there's no hope."

Her father nodded to Inoichi as the other man left, walking in the direction of the Yamanaka estate. Miho watched as her Pa withdrew his pouch, reaching over to take Naruto's hand as he knelt down. Naruto startled at the contact, looking at her father with wide eyes.

"This is something a friend gave me a long, long time ago. You remind me of him. A lot. I remember when he entered the finals. He was nervous."

Miho watched as he deposited something in Naruto's hand, wrapping the boy's fingers around it. Her heart skittered, feeling the same prickling sensation as a few minutes before. He was watching. Gaara was watching. Miho shifted her back to where she felt him. Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks.

But she still put herself between her imagination and her family.

"It's…bandages?"

"Special reinforced bandages. They're chakra-enhanced. I've never used them, but I think you will use them well." He made wrapping motions around his forearms and then gestured to his legs. "Just one layer should do it."

Miho could see tears glistening in Naruto's eyes. "I— I— Thank you, Uncle Chōza!" He flew forward, throwing his arms as far around her father's chest as he could, which only amount to the tips of his fingers on the edges of her father's arms.

Her Pa's eyes went to her and he smiled, reaching forward to press a hand to the side of her face. Like always.

"Be home by eight. There is much to be done."

Hesitating for just a scant moment, Miho nodded. Her hands fisted at her sides.

He would be preparing the clan compound for the invasion.

Her father stood and stepped back, looking down at them. And, for some reason, it felt different. Miho couldn't say why, but… He smiled and turned to the right, toward the compound. Naruto looked down at the bandages in his hand while Miho watched her father walk down the street, towering over the crowds as he moved.

At one time, she rode above the crowds on his shoulders.

It always seemed like she could see forever up there.

"Can you show me how to put these on?"

Miho turned to Naruto and smiled. "Of course."

He nodded, resolutely— as if he had made some sort of decision. Naruto grabbed her hand and pulled, dragging her over to the Ramen Ichiraku stall. He spun around to walk behind her, pressing under her shoulders to get her to move faster to a seat.

"You still keep that pencil on you?"

Brows pulling together at the question, Miho nodded, reaching down to draw a pencil from her kunai holster.

Naruto smiled, but his smiled a bit strained. He grabbed a napkin from the counter, shouting a warm greeting to the cook and his daughter as he scribbled. Looking determinedly at the countertop, he pressed it over to her.

We're being watched.

He sensed it.

Miho felt her heart shudder and she struggled to breathe for a moment.

Of course, he sensed it. Naruto was seriously in-tune with chakra, even without that kind of training. And it wasn't even chakra that had tipped her off— it was a feeling. Like how prey can sense a predator lingering just out of sight. A feeling of dread.

She took the pencil from him, pretending to look at the menu. She'd been here a hundred times and her order never changed.

I know. It's Gaara.

Naruto nodded, boisterously waving off the old cook's concern over his hospital stay. She could see the tension in his shoulders. Reaching over, she threw an arm around them.

Though she desperately wanted to turn and glare toward where she felt the pressure, she couldn't confront Gaara. She wouldn't stand a chance. And neither would any of the innocent civilians that would pay collateral.

"Remember to set your alarm tonight. Don't run late."

Naruto affected a scoff, shaking his head. "I'll get up and run whatever three hundred stupid laps you and Bushy Brows run! I need to get an early start! You wanna run with me? I can meet you at Training Ground #5!"

Miho nodded, grinning. Naruto turned back to Old Man Ichiraku. Fear gripped her stomach then— a different fear than the red-headed one lingering on some rooftop nearby. This one was chaos. Chaos that might lead to many people dying in less than a day, in less than twelve hours.

This disaster was coming for her whole village.

Her grip tightened as a large bowl of ramen, much larger than what her friend had ordered, was placed on the counter. She sat back and released her friend, watching with awe as the man turned away.

Naruto gleefully shouted his thanks as Gaara's looming disappeared.

She gratefully accepted her pork ramen a moment later.

That night, she only ate five bowls.

Her usual was fifteen.

* * *

Chōza wondered. He wondered as he watched his son run up to his daughter. He wondered as they strode, with clear purpose, to the archive at the back of the compound. He wondered just what possessed him to follow them. It seemed, too often now, that his children kept much from him. At first, it was just Miho. Miho and her lack of trust. Miho and her disappointment in him and his actions. Her distrust was like a kunai to the heart every time it reared its ugly head.

Then, Chōji followed his sister's lead. It was subtle at first. Then, more and more apparent. Chōji's goals over the last month were telling, telling of more than his own shame. Chōji trained like a young man with a deadline.

It seemed, so did the other two heirs of the Three. Shikamaru and Ino both trained as if the world was ending, not as if it were the finals of an exam. At first, he found it endearing— they were trying their hardest to become good ninja.

He felt pride knowing that Chōji and the others had such determination.

Then, Miho finally left Rock Lee's side in the hospital. She signed with the Bears. She upped her weight regimen and took up the more offensive naginata. She drew her hair back into a bun to keep it from her eyes. She and Chōji sparred, training for life-or-death battles.

He recognized desperation when he saw it.

He also recognized when his daughter placed herself between Suna's lingering jinchuriki and himself and Naruto.

Now, immediately after arriving home, his daughter took one look at her brother and followed him to the archive.

Chōza was a father. And Chōza wondered. So Chōza followed.

She didn't even know of her teacher's injuries or how close she'd come to losing him the previous night. Knowing her, she would spend days at his side in the hospital, if she were allowed. Then, she would throw herself headlong into training. Chōza followed, stopping cold when he realized that his children had hidden themselves in the reading room at the back corner.

The only room in the archive with pre-made privacy seals.

Privacy seals he controlled. Privacy seals he had Minato place on the walls when he'd become Clan Head.

Minato, whose son looked up at him that evening with so much thankfulness for just a few bandages and well-wishes.

Chōza thought about letting it be. He had a clan to prepare and a compound to secure, an invasion to prepare for. But, one memory kept rattling around in his head. Like dried pieces of corn in a rattle drum.

Chōji had been on his back, gritting his teeth through the pain in his muscles as they cramped. Chōza remembered the same pains from his youth, before his body was used to the stress of the pills. Just one pill had his son heaving and he hoped that he'd never experience two or, Kami-forbid, three pills.

After a couple deep gulps of air, his son rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself to his knees.

"It's not enough. Let's go again."

"You just did a controlled green pill transformation, my son. It's—"

"It's not gonna be enough. Not yet. I need to be stronger."

"Strength comes with ti—"

"We don't have time." Chōji had settled onto his haunches, staring up at Chōza with startlingly clear eyes. The pain had been managed, forced away. His son forced himself to stand, balancing his new weight with ease. Chōza felt a chill as his son's eyes narrowed. "We don't have time, Pa. Let's go again."

Chōza reached forward and pressed his palm to the wall. Those within would not sense the tap-in. Only he would be able to hear what they were saying. And, perhaps, this was a breech of their privacy. Perhaps his daughter would trust him even less if she knew, but…

"—in the hospital. Probably wasn't a part of the plan." Miho sounded tired. More tired than she should be at her age. Not the kind of physical exhaustion that came from a day of missions or training. She sounded soul-tired. "Shikamaru didn't specify, did he?"

"Just said 'troublesome, figure it out.'" Chōji answered. "With Genma-sensei out of commission—?"

They knew about Shiranui Genma's injuries? How? His entire situation was classified by Nara Shikaku. The man had been unconscious and been protected by ANBU guard for three days.

"He'll be up and about before things go sideways. Aoba-sensei's not stupid."

He could hear a chair creak and he could imagine Miho falling into one of the century-old wood chairs inside. A crackling sound and then the crunch of potato chips. He would know that sound anywhere. Another similar sound. They both had opened up chip bags.

"Shikamaru's still good on the plan, right?"

His son sighed. "Ino's not too happy about it, but she's got the bye, so…"

"At least if he forfeits, he won't be tired when the fighting starts."

"Yeah, Ino just says he didn't put that much effort into it there and then either."

Miho's scoff was so familiar that Chōza— even in the unfamiliarity of what he was hearing— could see her eyes rolling. "He was chakra exhausted."

"Either way, he's good to go. Ino's ready as well. We're all good." Chōji was obviously trying to head-off an old argument by the tone in his voice. "You're still planning to go up there?"

"It's the only plan we could think of that has it ending tomorrow."

"We?"

"It wasn't my idea, Chōji."

"Your speed's not—"

"I know."

Silence hung in the air and Chōza sat with his uncertainty. His children knew something. They knew what was coming. They knew of the invasion. The only explanation that he could think of was that Genma had told his daughter. Which meant that her teacher had told his team an A-rank secret. But when had she visited Genma? Was he even conscious yet? He'd been under ANBU guard for nearly three days.

"Miho, I still don't think this is a good idea. You won't get past him. He'll kill you before you're able to do anything. Why not just let Aoba-sensei and Genma-sensei take care of it? They knew him anyway, didn't they? Or just…There's got to be a better plan."

His daughter didn't answer and Chōza felt anxiety build in his stomach. He'd had enough. Enough of the confusion, enough wondering. Removing his hand from the wall, he rounded the final wooden bookshelf and knocked on the door, opening it before they could answer.

His children stood.

Chōji shifted just a bit, but enough to be a tell. Of guilt. His son looked as if he didn't want to be ashamed, but he was regardless. He couldn't hold Chōza's eyes for more than a few seconds.

Miho rolled her shoulders, waving at him with as innocent of an expression as she could manage. She didn't look guilty— just tired. He tried not to notice the bags under her eyes. So similar to Chisato.

"Who is it you will be getting past tomorrow, Miho? And how it is that you two know what is coming during tomorrow's exams?"

It was his daughter that figured it out first, eyes flying around the room as if she could see the seals. When her eyes settled on him again, her expression made him want to take a step back. Even when she was younger and she'd chastised him for his— whole generation's— treatment of Naruto, she hadn't looked at him like this.

Before, it had been unwilling distrust.

She wanted to trust him, but she couldn't.

Because she didn't understand or respect his actions.

Now, it was outright.

And he earned it.

"Father, we were just—" Chōji stopped still, mouth opening and closing before his hands fisted. He looked to Miho, but she didn't look to her brother. She held Chōza's stare, back straightening.

Chōza's eyes narrowed and he tried to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation.

His arms crossed.

"Well?"

His daughter didn't falter. "Genma-sensei told me."

"How? He's still unconscious, from what I know."

"I was doing my usual training. I found him in the forest on the eastern side of town during my run. I got him as close to Jōnin Command as he would let me go."

"And he told you what?"

It was a test, to see what she knew and how much danger his children were in. Miho's normally soft brown eyes narrowed to slits before flicking to her brother. He was hesitating, shoulders shaking. "I can't say any of it out loud without a seal, Father."

She was lying. Miho had a habit when she was lying, ever since she was a little girl. She swayed her weight, rolling to the balls of her feet in such small increments that it was almost imperceptible unless someone knew what to look for. And Chōza was her father. He knew all her tells.

He thought he knew all about both of his children. Apparently, he was wrong.

"And my other question?"

"Which one?" Her voice was controlled, almost foreign. Chōji shifted.

Chōza wondered if this was his daughter, the kunoichi, rather than his daughter, just his daughter. "Who you will be 'getting past' tomorrow." She sighed, lowering her head. He could see that she was considering lying. She'd shifted her weight. "The exam proctor. I want a chance at—"

Something slammed to his left and he found Chōji's hand on the wall, green chakra echoing around the room.

"Orochimaru."

Miho jerked her head around to stare at her brother. The hurt and betrayal there made his heart ache. Her brother didn't look at her, standing straighter as he stepped forward. Chōji was stubborn and determined whenever he chose to be. And, it seemed, he'd chosen. Chōji's Will was strong. Stronger than most.

"Chōji—"

"She'll try to get past Orochimaru."

"Chōji!"

Chōza did take a step back, staggering a bit at the force of what his son said. His daughter planned to get past the Snake Sannin? "What?"

"Orochimaru's taken the place of the Kazekage. He's going to resurrect the former Hokage and control them when he fights the Third."

When he…

"You can't just—" Miho's voice was frantic, terrified, hurt, betrayed. "Chōji, what're you doing?"

Chōza looked between his children, watching as Miho edged backwards from the table. As if she needed the walls to cover her back. As if they would not do that for her. His stomach lurched at the way she retreated. His heart stopped at the look she sent Chōji. "What— How do you know any of this?"

Miho dragged her eyes away from her brother, staring at the floor beneath her feet. She was beginning to shake, to quiver.

"It doesn't matter," Chōji tried. Chōza waved a hand. "Father, it—"

"It matters, son. If this source is credible, then—"

"It's credible, but— but limited." Chōji seemed to choke on nothing, looking toward his sister. "Miho, we have to tell him. We have to. It's tomorrow. What if something goes wrong? What if— Miho, what if—" Her brother raced around the table, holding up both hands when his sister took a sharp step back, eyes rising from where she was staring at the wooden planks beneath her feet.

That anger. The way her eyes narrowed and her teeth bared as she stepped back?

That was all Okuda Keisuke.

Then, he saw it melt.

The bravado. It melted into a firm sort of confidence that…was hauntingly familiar. Her shoulders pulled back and she raised her chin just a bit, looking down her nose at Chōji. Chōji, whose hands were still raised in placation.

"Miho, explain this. Please." Chōza kept his voice calm, even.

She looked to him, over her brother's head. His daughter drew in a breath, held it, and released it again, sagging forward as if under a tremendous weight. She swallowed nothing, shot her brother a disappointed look, and rolled her shoulders one last time.

"Thank you for giving Naruto the Fourth Hokage's bandages, Father. I told him before I left him tonight who they belonged to. It meant the world to him. And it meant the world to me." She leaned forward in a deep bow. "I've tried my best to protect people the best ways I know how. But, it seems like I have to give more." She rose and looked to her brother. "I'll keep giving until I have nothing left to give."

Sweet, sweet Chōji. Chōji, who was crying as he drew his hands away.

Chōza knew his son. Chōza could see the regret.

She tilted her head back to keep her own tears at bay. Her eyes were resigned. She was resigned.

Chōza felt his heart breaking for his children, whatever was happening. Perhaps he'd made a mistake. He'd made a mistake and there was no righting it now.

"I know the future, Father. A version of it. I know what will happen tomorrow. I know what might happen years from now. I know more than I should."

Miho drew herself up to her full height even as Chōza felt the world shift.

"I didn't hear anything from Genma-sensei. Genma-sensei heard about the invasion from me."

* * *

Aoba entered the Hokage's office to see Akimichi Miho kneeling before the old man, chin raised and eyes shut. Her body was shaking violently, the tremors seemed to reverberate around the office. When he saw Inoichi's hand draw away from the girl's head, Aoba just barely caught her before her body hit the floor. Looking up, he could tell that the Third was intent- intent on what exactly, Aoba wasn't sure.

_Never break the chain_

_Never break the chain_

He could hear the remnants of an unfamiliar song making the rounds within her brain, one echo after another. Inoichi had put her into unconsciousness, so she wouldn't have to deal with the Hokage. Inoichi, who stood partway blocking the girl from view, was protecting her. Aoba looked between the Yamanaka and the old man.

"The girl is telling the truth, Lord Hokage."

The Third didn't move, continuing to stare at the dark village. After a few long minutes, he turned and moved to his seat behind the desk. Aoba shifted the girl in his arms, wondering if they would all end up in neighboring cells. After all, now Inoichi had all the information he needed. But his daughter was also involved.

_Resources...Secrets..._

"Aoba, you were aware of this?"

He nodded. "I was, Lord Hokage."

"Explain to us what you know and why you made the decisions you made."

Yamashiro Aoba needed a drink.

The plan just got more complicated.

Really, the plan was shot to hell.

And it was supposed to be so simple.

* * *

**A/N:** The semester starts next week, which means that I'm in full-tilt prep mode. All sorts of meetings and orientations and so on. It's fun and I'm excited about all the possibilities.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. It's going off the rails pretty quickly, huh? I know everyone's going to be up in arms over some of the decisions being made this chapter... Don't judge Choji too harshly for this. He has his reasons.

Thank you so much for reading! Thank you everyone for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Let me know what you think!


	17. Part I: Catalyst

It was impossible to protect them from the fallout. That was the scariest part. Not the impending punishment. Not the likely cell where she'd be bled dry of all she knew. Those things paled in comparison. They were finite. There was no making sure _they_ came out on the other side. Genma-sensei was wheeled in, face carefully placid. She could feel the worry, the concern. She could feel how much he wanted to place himself between her and _all of this._

Miho couldn't look at him for more than a few seconds. She stared at the windows behind the Hokage, the darkened village. She wondered if Naruto was sleeping. She hoped so. He needed the rest.

He'd been so worried when she'd walked him to his apartment.

The Hokage kept silent, as he had since he'd sent for Team Ten and her teacher. His gnarled hands were folded in front of his lips, hiding his emotions. Miho couldn't look at him for more than a few seconds.

When Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji were marched into the Hokage's office at three in the morning, Miho wished. Even though she knew that wishing was naïve. Too naïve for where she stood. For what she'd done. For the situation she was in.

Still, Miho wished she'd never been reborn into this world.

It didn't matter where else her soul went, where it landed. It should've never been this place.

Then, they wouldn't have to deal with this, deal with her. Deal with any of it.

Then, her father wouldn't look so… conflicted.

Then, Chōji wouldn't look so hurt.

Miho turned her back on them, unable to look at Team Ten any longer. She'd figure out how to explain it all away. Take the blame. She'd figure out some way to save them from all this.

Saving them from the Hokage was one thing.

Saving them from Danzō was another.

Miho fought the shiver at the base of her spine.

Ino was at her side then and, like a true heiress, she fell into a bow to the Hokage. Miho fought the urge to push her back toward the door. Instead, she gripped the edge of her yukata, rubbing the little leaf details with her thumbs.

"Lord Third, none of our actions were to harm Konohagakure."

Miho flinched, feeling a presence to her left. She glanced over to see Shikamaru slouched at her side. He looked up from under his lashes, tiredly communicating how much of a _drag_ all of this was. There was an angry tilt to his thin lips. The kind he usually had when he was pissed off. Shikamaru's anger was palpable. She could feel it on her skin somehow.

"Thank you for that preface, Yamanaka Ino." Lord Hokage pulled smoke into his lungs and he it for a moment before breathing it out. Miho decided that there were only a few smells that she absolutely loathed. The scent of Sarutobi Hiruzen's tobacco was ranked just as high as brined corn. "While your insight is appreciated, I am afraid that I have quite a different perspective."

Ino rose up, face carefully blank. Her head turned and her eyes looked to Miho's face before sliding to the presence at the door. Miho could imagine Chōji standing there, with her father and his teacher. The teacher who was going to die.

Maybe if Lord Third understood with his own eyes… Maybe then…

Danzō didn't yet know. Maybe it could be avoided.

Ino's father and Aoba-sensei had recounted, described.

She'd kept silent while the "witnesses" were called. She'd kept her head down, not saying anything while Aoba was grilled and her teacher answered, carefully avoiding anything too incriminating. She stayed quiet when Yamanaka Inoichi recited the events as if they were a grocery list. She gritted her teeth when he side-stepped truths.

She knew of the Uchiha Massacre.

Nothing more than its occurrence.

Not _why _it happened or who had a role in it.

She knew of the coming invasion.

Not who was pulling the strings from the inside, giving Orochimaru all the access to Konoha he needed. Who was using Orochimaru and Suna to prove the village's weaknesses. Who was the utilitarian mastermind behind countless deaths.

"Lord Hokage." Her voice was rough and she felt small. She felt smaller than she'd ever felt. And Miho knew that she was never meant to feel small. In a world of small people, she was always meant to be large. It felt like her weight was drawing her down and Miho lowered herself to one knee, pulling her arm over her chest.

She wondered if her father was ashamed of her as she moved.

Ashamed that she fell into the Akimichi's formal salute.

Ashamed of her.

She swallowed.

No matter how much she wanted to cry.

She was a kunoichi. And she had people to protect.

If there was anything that could keep her out of a cell, it was this.

"Lord Hokage, please let me show you. Please let Lord Yamanaka_ show_ you." Raising her eyes up from the floor, she held the old man's stare. She didn't shiver, but she could feel a cold sensation on her back. "I beg of you, sir. There is so much more to it. Yes, we were hiding the information, but there is a _reason_ we did that. Hearing it and seeing it are very—"

"Akimichi Miho."

Miho looked up at the leader of her village.

The grandfather figure everyone looked to for guidance.

"You are charged with treason against Konoha."

"But, Lord Ho—"

Fear lurched through her stomach as her heart stopped. She felt a presence at her side as an ANBU appeared, a strong hand gripping her shoulder and forcing her to stand. Miho struggled upright, knees popping with the movement.

This…This wasn't what she expected.

Some part of her, a very small and hopeful part, believed that he would hear her out.

Some part of her— wanted to think that he was a character that was _better than this._

Character? No. Miho shook her head.

He was never _better than this,_ was he?

That's not what he was meant to stand for in the story.

The story. Miho wanted to scream.

"You will be held until after this affair with Suna and Oto is settled. Until th—"

Genma-sensei was at her side, but she wasn't sure how or when he got there. She could feel that the hand on her shoulder was gone. When she looked up, it was to see her teacher had the ANBU's arm pulled behind his back, palm pushed up between his shoulder blades. Genma-sensei's eyes were cold and hard. Unrelenting. He jerked the ANBU's arm up again and she winced at the movement, knowing that the ANBU would've been trained to endure that kind of pain.

She wasn't sure why the ANBU didn't retaliate.

Genma-sensei's eyes never left the Hokage. "Lord Third, Miho is a kunoichi loyal to Konoha. There are reasons for her silence that I suspect have not been disclosed, given our location and audience." Her teacher's free hand rested on her shoulder, gripping tightly.

The Hokage's eyes shut and opened slowly, a strange owlish look that made him seem even more dangerous. She wondered how many ways he'd already envisioned her dead, even if he espoused peace.

He would have no qualms killing children. After all, Miho shuddered, look what he put Itachi through. And Shisui. What he was willing to put Naruto through. And Sasuke. What he allowed Kakashi to go through without support. This man didn't care that she was a child. He didn't care that she was a human. He wouldn't care about Ino or Shikamaru or Chōji if they weren't the sons and daughters of major clans.

At least, they were somewhat protected in that regard.

_But the Uchiha…_

Clan status didn't protect them, did it?

Genma-sensei's hand tightened when another figure stepped forward. She glanced over to see Aoba-sensei angling just slightly in front of her on her other side. He reached up to adjust his glasses, but she could briefly see his eyes in the movement.

He looked so worried.

And scared.

Miho shivered as he began to talk.

"As I stated earlier, Lord Hokage, Miho made the best decision available to her. There are extenuating—"

"You are both components in this charge of treason, Aoba, Genma. I would suggest you stay silent."

"Sir, with all due respect, every action that Miho has undertaken has been in service to Konoha— to Uzumaki Naruto, to her friends and family. She has the Will of Fire."

Miho shook at the mention of Naruto's name.

He wouldn't understand.

She wouldn't be there for his final match and he wouldn't understand.

If she died, would he ever know why?

Lee, too. They'd never know.

She heard the footsteps and saw the Hokage's patient eyes fall on a figure that planted himself firmly in front of her.

Like a wall.

Chōji held out both arms. As if that would do anything.

She felt her teacher's hand tighten on her shoulder, giving a warning squeeze.

"Lord Hokage, please. My sister is not a traitor. She loves Konohagakure. Everything she's ever done has been to protect it. I told my father because I believed it was the right thing to do." Miho felt her entire body jerk as Chōji's voice cut through the office. It was sharp as a blade, so different from his usual calm and even demeanor. She resisted the urge to step forward. "Let me show you, Lord Hokage. Let me show you _everything_."

His shoulders were tensed, his fisted hands fell to his sides.

She could imagine the determined set of his jaw and his narrowed eyes. The same eyes that he always had when he felt he was doing something _right_ and damn the consequences.

Except her brother was facing down the Hokage— the God of Shinobi— holding his stare.

Genma-sensei edged her back until she was behind him and Aoba-sensei. His hand stayed on her, fingers gripping her yukata tightly as his other hand lingered closer to his holster. The ANBU shifted with Genma-sensei and, for some reason, she could sense a bland sort of frustration in the movement. The shade of the man's hair was familiar, though she couldn't place it. He seemed to sigh.

The Hokage's eyes rose and he looked blandly at her teacher.

"Genma." His voice held a warning. The old man turned back to Chōji. "Inoichi has told me enough." The Hokage looked to the Yamanaka Clan Head, who minutely shook his head. The Hokage's mouth opened before his eyes slowly blinked and he frowned.

"Showing and telling are different, Lord Third." Ino was at her side again, gripping her arm. Her father shot his daughter a look, but met the Hokage's angry eyes. Ino didn't back down. She never did.

He stood, making his way around the desk. As he moved, Miho felt chakra ripple through the office. The first wave was bearable, but the second and third had her gasping. Her knees gave way and she bit back a yelp when her knees hit the floor. Ino and Shikamaru were both on their knees as well, quaking.

She saw, in many gruesome ways, all the ways she could die at that very moment.

In front of her Chōji held his ground, knees shaking as he remained standing. The Hokage arrived to stand in front of her brother. Her brother must've continued holding the man's eyes because the Hokage nodded. "You are much like your father." He raised his eyes to look to where she knew her father stood.

"He does you credit, Chōza."

She felt the chakra pulse and the Killing Intent fade away. Miho huffed out a breath. Aoba-sensei lowered himself down, pressing a hand to her face and then to Shikamaru and Ino's shoulders. Miho shifted to her knees.

_The Hokage's activated the privacy seal._

Miho jerked her head around to face Ino. Then, jolted when Shikamaru's voice entered her head as well.

_He hid it in the Killing Intent._

_Won't matter if the ANBU is Root._

Choking at the thrill of fear that shot through her chest, Miho scrambled forward only to be caught by Aoba-sensei. "It's fine. Trust me, Miho." He gave her a steady, meaningful look with significantly more calm than he had a few moments before. He flicked his attention to Ino and Shikamaru before nodding. "Trust us."

"Inoichi, show me what you haven't told me. Show me Akimichi Chōji's memories."

Chōji stood straighter.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Miho watched, barely keeping her breathing even as the Yamanaka Clan Head placed a hand on her brother's head and then the Hokage's. Swallowing, she ignored the swell of hunger in her stomach. It felt like she hadn't eaten in hours. In so, so long. She wanted to eat.

Genma-sensei slowly lowered himself down to one knee, turning his upper body toward her before flicking his attention up and to the right of the door.

Where she knew her father was standing.

"Genma-sensei—"

Her teacher's jaw worked as he continued to glare.

"Genma-sensei, it's—"

_Not okay. It's not okay, Miho._ Ino grabbed her arm and she heard her teacher's voice in her mind. He didn't move as she stared up at him. _It's not okay, but we'll get through this. All of us. Together. But this is _not okay.

Ino sagged a bit at her side and Miho looked over to see bags under her friend's eyes. "Stop. Rest." Nodding, Ino settled down onto her folded legs. "You've got to be exhausted." There was the slightest tilt to Ino's lips that made Miho recognize the danger almost everyone was in from her friend's rage. "It's—"

"We're going to have a _conversation_ about self-sacrifice."

"Troublesome."

"And _we're _going to have a conversation about—"

"Akimichi Miho."

She jerked around to see the Hokage's eyes on her. His eyes were no longer full of disappointment and contempt. Instead, they were full of something she couldn't quite place. Not quite awe. Not quite understanding. Perhaps it was assessment. As if he was _trying_ to understand. He rested a hand on Chōji's wild brown hair, pushing the fridge down over her brother's eyes. Miho shifted into a more formal position, mimicking her teacher's stance.

The Hokage glanced to Genma-sensei and nodded.

"These events do not leave this room. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage." was the immediate reply.

"Lord Third, what—" She heard her father take a step forward, but he stopped moving when the old man held up a hand. Miho flinched, a sick feeling like indigestion bubbling in her chest and throat. The Hokage's eyes fell on her, flicking to Ino and then Shikamaru. He knew.

He knew _everything._

Not just the future events. Those were only _part _of the story. The climax.

He knew what they knew. The context, the climbing action.

And he knew why they, children— even children indoctrinated with the village's beliefs— chose _not_ to tell him.

Danzō.

His own terrifying decisions.

_He knew._

And he knew what she _thought_ about them.

Miho shifted her weight and the Hokage looked away, pulling his hand from Chōji's head to fold both hands behind his back. "I am an old man, but there are always new things that surprise me. Once again, it is clear that one never stops learning." A bit tiredly, he glanced to Genma-sensei. "Genma, please stop acting like I am going to kill your student. She is in no danger from me."

Genma-sensei's tension eased, but he saw the modifier as easily as anyone else.

_From me._

And still, Miho doubted that, no matter how sincere the Hokage seemed.

"She's still in danger."

The Hokage hummed, turning his back on the room to look out at the night-shadowed village. "Indeed, all of them are. All of _you_ are. Cat." An ANBU appeared. Her light purple hair seemed familiar to Miho, but she couldn't place the recognition. "Summon Nara Shikaku then guard along with Deer and Jaguar. Deer, Jaguar, Rabbit." ANBU Cat disappeared while two male ANBU appeared. Miho glanced around to find that the same ANBU was still there, though she'd forgotten about him. "Secure this room. _No one_ save for Nara Shikaku can enter. We are entering a Status One."

The ANBU set to their guard duty. Miho flinched when metal shutters clamped shut over the windows of the office.

"We can speak freely."

"Then sorry for the lack of decorum, Lord Hokage, but what _the hell _is going on?" Asuma-sensei questioned, stepping forward to where Ino was pushing herself to her feet and Shikamaru was still sitting on the floor, obviously seeing no reason to stand up. "These two have the finals tomorrow. In just a few hours. What exactly did Akimichi Miho do?"

"She, as well as your students, has kept S-class secrets known to her since childhood, worked to maintain security of the village's legacy, and has tried to curb our fate. And was even willing to give her life for my own." The Hokage turned only his head and Miho stared, completely flummoxed by his conflicted profile. "Your plan would not have worked, Miho."

"Chōji showed you—"

"Your brother feared for your fate and saw his actions as the only way to save you."

Chōji kept his eyes on the floor.

Miho pushed herself up to stand. She felt the flab of her arms get caught in the fabric of her yukata and shook out the skin. "Sir—"

"I have earned the mistrust you have in me. From the things I have seen—that you have seen— it is a wonder that you are not more disillusioned. I believe you have every right to be." He turned, eyes falling on Ino. "And _you_ have no small part either. You— all of you— have inherited the Will of Fire. You are determined to protect your friend, your family, and this village."

Ino's mouth opened and shut before she finally settled on nodding.

The Hokage then looked down to Shikamaru, whose eyes were shut. "I assume this time you will not sleep away an invasion?" Shikamaru opened his eyes and rolled his shoulders. "Your plan was genius. As would be expected. Save for the part that included saving my life, we may well have repelled the invasion. You do your father proud."

As if summoned by his mention, the door to the office opened and Nara Shikaku stepped in, looking far more awake than any Nara should at three-thirty in the morning. He immediately found his son and shut the door behind, moving to stand at her father's side.

Her father met her eyes for a long moment and Miho looked away, studiously focusing on the Nara Clan Head.

"Lord Hokage."

"Inoichi, show Shikaku, Chōza, and Asuma. It is as your daughter says: showing and telling are vastly different." The Hokage turned and moved to settle himself in his chair once more, folding his hands in front of his mouth. Miho rose up from where she sat, still feeling off-kilter by more than just the blood rushing to her head. "We have much to do and not much time to do it."

"Sir, the Hawk?"

Conflict shimmered in the old man's eyes and Miho felt tense, waiting for him to respond to Genma-sensei's question. "It seems…that I was wrong to let him go for so long unchecked."

She didn't react to the hedging words, not sure how to respond to them. Even after everything he'd seen and everything that they knew, the Hokage still loved that man. No matter that he murdered children, tortured and conditioned them into compliance, kidnapped them, hurt them. No matter that he gave Orochimaru subjects for his experiments. No matter that he put down a peaceful movement. No matter that he watched as the village was destroyed and its only hope for salvation— for Naruto— Danzō killed.

Miho remembered that scene clearly.

She remembered the shock and fear, even if it was "only a story."

The blood and the sword and the sickening realization.

The realization that Naruto wasn't coming.

That more people were going to die.

That the village was—

"We need to tread carefully. Danzō is a powerful political figure. Accusing him of treason will not bode well for the village. Not to mention the current international tensions." Nara Shikaku's voice pulled at the silence, unravelling it. Miho didn't look at him, but instead looked up to her teacher's face.

He put a senbon between his teeth and met her eyes. He rolled the senbon between his teeth before, sighing. "Just kill the bastard." Miho watched as he pushed his hands into his pockets and slouched. The Nara Clan Head gave him a very long-suffering look. "Kill the bastard. It solves so many problems. I'd volunteer, but I'm no match for him."

"It's not so simple. Assassinating one of Konoha's elders will have ripple effects. What do you think his shadow organization will do once he's gone? With whatever fail-safes he put in place, we can't just destroy him and expect no consequences. We can't have a leaderless shadow faction running around."

The Hokage coughed, bringing attention back to himself. "I believe that we have a much more pressing issue. The Invasion." He looked to the Three Clan Heads. "Is all prepared? We were well on-track before Akimichi Miho's revelation. Thanks to Genma's theatrics and Aoba's performance." Miho shifted and her movement drew his eyes. "Until the situation is secured, you four are to be guarded."

"They can all stay at the Akimichi estate." Her father stepped forward. "We are prepared for tomorrow's attack."

"That won't work for Ino and Shikamaru. They're still fighting."

Her father seemed to come up short, mouth falling open at Asuma's words. "Lord Hokage, do you mean for the finals to proceed?"

"It is the only way to assure that we have the upper hand. Suna and Oto have no idea of our foreknowledge. That can work to our advantage. We can begin evacuating minutes before the attack commences."

Miho listened, moving to the edge of the room with Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji as the adults discussed strategies. Her stomach was growling, twisting and turning on itself. It felt as if the acid was being squeezed up into her chest and throat. There was this lingering fear, nipping at the corners of her mind.

Like a red-eye-covered arm would appear from the shadows and grab her.

With his stolen eye— Shisui's eye— he'd make her tell him _every secret she protected._

He couldn't know. Could he? Not yet.

"Miho."

She turned to her brother, looking between his face and the bag of chips he held out to her.

"I'm sorry."

Pulling in a deep breath, Miho struggled not to take the bag of chips and throw them back at him. Her brother knew her. He knew her so well that she could see his wince when the anger flickered onto her face. Swallowing, she tightened her fist so hard that the bones popped and she released the tension, reaching for a chip. He didn't smile when she ate it, letting the salt melt on her tongue. Neither did she.

She may have forgiven him, but—

"Akimichi Miho."

Miho turned to the Hokage, trying not to flinch under his stare. "Sir?"

"You will be assigned an ANBU guard. Each of you will. You will attend tomorrow's finals."

"How can we be sure they're not Root?"

Shikamaru's question was met with heavy silence. Miho wondered for a moment whether or not they'd already discussed such a possibility. It was Genma-sensei that stepped forward. His eyes cut to the Hokage, who gave a minute nod as he turned back to his desk. Her father was the only one watching from the other side of the room as her teacher shrugged his shoulders.

"Because they're my former cell. Cat. Rabbit. Bull. And Hawk. They're trustworthy and good at their jobs." Miho wanted to argue that there was no way he could know for sure, but bit it back. She didn't want to question her teacher in front of others. He seemed to catch the flicker of doubt. "Seeing as I'm not proctoring this go-around, I think I need my adorable team to take care of their _pathetically injured_ teacher."

Shikamaru huffed, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. "Team Five is such a drag."

Genma-sensei sobered up. "In the meantime, kid, you're with me. Let's go get you something to eat. We'll get the boys to pamper us. After all, I'm still injured." He reached forward and ruffled her hair, seeming more tired than he ever did. She saw her father look away, focusing on the ongoing discussion of invasion plans. Miho felt a pinch to the flab of her arm and turned to snap at Ino. Genma-sensei caught her and started pushing toward the door. "C'mon, Team Annoying, you're with me too. Your Badass Chainsmoking Teacher's beard-deep in invasion shit. Let's go."

She didn't look back when she left the office, silently wondering if this was the better twist in the story. Some part of her— some childish part— couldn't forgive her father as easily as she'd forgiven Chōji.

She'd survived the Hokage intact, through some narrative loophole. Her father had sent her along this path. So, she didn't look back when she left the office. It felt good as she did it. It felt like revenge.

She couldn't help but to feel that this was just another bit of rising action.

Eventually, the story would come to collect.

It always did.

* * *

When Tetsuya and Koji arrived at Genma-sensei's house, they were so obvious that she wanted to yell. Immediately, they were upon her, fussing at how _pale _she was, how _dirty_ her hair was, how _gaunt _she looked. Koji was silently taking stock of Team Ten at the kitchen table, eyeing Genma-sensei's dull stare. He checked her pulse with a casual grip on her wrist. She slapped his arm. Tetsuya spun her around before deciding that he was _cooking._ He took charge of their teacher's kitchen as if it were his own.

"You two are shit at subterfuge." Genma-sensei observed, coffee halfway to his lips. "You won't figure it out like that."

Koji scoffed, rolling his eyes. "We weren't _trying_ to be subtle, sensei." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, just barely catching himself before propping a foot on the wall. Genma-sensei raised a brow. "You were in the Hokage's office."

Shikamaru snorted, but didn't open his eyes. His head remained on the table.

"What tipped you off? The smell of tobacco?" Ino questioned, waving her hand. At a loud bang in the kitchen, she giggled a bit. It was a dark sort of laugh. "Yeah, we were with the Hokage earlier."

Miho sighed, lifting both hands to press against her face. It was only a few hours until the finals were due to start. Until the invasion was due to start. They— all of the genin— were tasked with awakening their fellow genin and getting them to the Academy, to defend or evacuate it. The ANBU guards would follow them on this task, to guard them. Miho had tried to argue with Genma-sensei about it, but he'd shut down all discussion.

Genma-sensei pressed his hand to the seal over the mantel and Miho watched as Tetsuya's head rose on the other side of the kitchen peninsula as he sat the pan down on the stove with a dull screech. Chakra rippled around the four walls. "Sensei?"

"Today, we'll be attacked by Oto and Suna."

Koji lowered his arms from where they were folded and stepped away from the wall. Tetsuya's voice was small. "What? H-How— How do we know—"

"At today's finals, during Gaara and Sasuke's match, they'll attack using a genjutsu to disable the crowd. They do not know that _we_ know what's coming. The Hokage has the platoons prepared and all major clans are locked down."

Miho met Koji's eyes, not wavering.

"That's why you got hurt. Wasn't it?" Koji's voice was careful.

Genma-sensei nodded. She wondered if he felt bad for lying to the boys. "I got injured getting the information to the Hokage." While that wasn't a lie, it wasn't the truth. Miho bit into a wrapped sweet bun, watching as her teacher's eyes travelled to Koji's senbon pack and then over to Tetsuya and his bandana. "Team Five will leave the arena and provide cover for the Academy, either defending or evacuating."

"Y-Yes, sir." Tetsuya nodded. His eyes trekked to Team Ten. "What's Team Ten's mission?" The underlying _Why are they here?_ Was obvious, but Tetsuya had the good grace to busy himself in the kitchen. As if he wasn't waiting for the answer. "Miho, you want some fried rice?"

"Make yourself at home, kid." Genma-sensei rolled his eyes. "Team Ten has the _same mission._" His emphasis was pointedly focused upon Shikamaru, who was still dozing.

She knew that Shikamaru was too hard-headed. He'd go with Naruto. Ino would go with Sakura. And Chōji would go with his teammates. She wondered if the ANBU would just follow along or step in once they realized Team Ten had no plans to follow their mission parameters. Knowing that made her hands sweat. She wanted to go with Naruto, too. To help Team Seven face Gaara. She wanted to help, but—

She swallowed the sweet bun down and pushed herself up, walking around the kitchen to Tetsuya, who had his back to her as he stirred the rice.

"You're involved somehow. Don't lie and say you're not. You're not good at lying, Chubs." Tetsuya said, not looking at her as she leaned against the counter. He pushed the egg around before glancing to her face. "You've lost weight. You haven't been eating right. Something's wrong."

"Tetsuya's right." Koji said as he rounded the peninsula into the kitchen. It seemed a bit more private now that they all were in the kitchen, with Team Ten quietly talking at the table. "Genma-sensei may've got hurt getting the intel to the Hokage, but you're involved. We know it." He moved toward her, lowering himself down a bit to look into her eyes. His nose scrunched and he rolled his eyes, moving to lean against the counter on Tetsuya's other side. "You haven't slept."

Miho couldn't help but to smile just a bit. She wondered if they knew how much she loved them. It was no better time to make that clear, on the day of an invasion. On the day when, no matter how much foreknowledge they had, they might not survive. The thought frightened her, more than the thought of being locked up for a lifetime or being tortured by the old War Hawk.

"I love you guys. You know that, right?"

The house was silent with her words.

The previous night and morning had her grappling, looking for footholds. Trying to find any consistent thing to hold onto. It felt like the stable grounding she'd always had was crumbling under her feet. She had never thought when she was younger that she would ever fear her own house. Her own home. But…Home was where her father looked at her like he didn't know her.

Like he couldn't understand her.

Like he never would.

Home was where everything turned on its head.

Tetsuya removed the rice from the stove's eye and set it aside, turning to her with an expression like gravity. His lips were pressed into a firm line as he stared her down and Miho couldn't help but to cringe back a bit at the intensity of his stare.

He noticed. And he shared a look with Koji.

"Genma-sensei, can we have a team meeting?"

They turned to find Genma-sensei standing in the hallway next to the kitchen, jerking his head toward the back of the apartment. "We've got a lot to cover in a small amount of time." Miho felt a hand taking hers and she looked up to find Tetsuya already turning to pull her along. Koji followed behind, folding his arms behind his head as he moved. "Team Annoying, stay out of my stuff."

"No promises." Ino called back as the door to her teacher's spare bedroom closed.

He'd outfitted it for them only a month after being given Team Five. It had three twin beds with extra outfits and materials. Extra weapons and supplies. He said it was because he couldn't always make sure they got home after a mission. Sometimes it was just easier to have a safe place to crash after an intense mission. Said that would get worse with time.

Genma-sensei threw himself onto the small sofa on the closet wall, sighing. Koji closed the door, leaning against it as if that would be enough to stop Team Ten from crashing through it or eavesdropping.

"We love you too, Miho, but we need to know what's going on. It's been months since we became a team. Me and Koji, we've known something is different for a while, but we always…We wanted to wait until you felt comfortable telling us." Tetsuya ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling as if pleading for patience.

Koji shifted. "We don't gotta know. Not right now. Not with what's happenin' today. But someday, we're gonna need to know." He held Tetsuya's eyes for a long moment before the brunette nodded.

Miho felt the breakdown coming. She felt it in the tension at the back of her neck. As if all the pressure was building there and melting down to her shoulder blades. It wrapped around her stomach until it struck. The tears came so fast that she stumbled back to the nearby bed, heavily falling onto the edge.

Koji was across the room in a blink. "What in the—"

"Genma-sensei, what the hell happened?" Tetsuya's voice was shaking.

It was all just too much. The stress. The betrayal that still sat in her gut. The sting of distrust. How close she'd come to the cells. How close all of them had come to something terrible. How close she'd come to ruining everything. And that was just the Hokage's impact. She'd been lucky. That luck would eventually run out. Even now, an ANBU was guarding her, somewhere out of sight. Guarding her from Danzō's ever-present threat. Because…it was only a matter of time.

Like all things, she knew.

Like all things she knew.

"I-I can't tell you yet. B-But I will. I promise I will. I just—" She shook her head, trying to shake away the images in her mind.

Her father, larger than the buildings of Konoha, feet thundering on the market road. Wind tearing around him. More and more Oto and Suna nin around him. But when his eyes looked to her, they were just as cold. The thrill of fear that shot through her culminated in a shiver and Miho lifted her eyes to where Genma-sensei sat. Koji's palm pressed at her cheek and she looked up at him. He repeated the same action on the other side of her face.

"Eh, you'll tell us when you're ready. Until then, who do I beat up for whatever's got you cryin'?"

Tetsuya looked over to Genma-sensei for some kind of explanation, possibly even a name and address, only to be met with two raised hands. "Suffice to say, no one you can actually hit. Yet."

Deflating, her teammate sat on the opposite bed and pressed his hands over his face. "Is Miho in danger because of whatever this is?"

"Yeah, she is." Genma-sensei nodded. "Miho's in some pretty deep shit." Miho nodded, raising her head to look over to where her teacher had scooted forward on the sofa. "One thing at a time. We'll have a debrief after all this is settled. Until then, let's focus on today." She nodded along with her teammates. "Watch each other's backs. You each have come a long way in your training. You'll need to put it all to use today. The Chūnin Exams are a game. This is reality. This will either kill you or make you stronger."

He pushed himself up and walked over to the closet, pulling it open. Sighing, he looked at them, repositioned the senbon between his teeth, and reached into the drawers. Miho caught what was thrown to her. She stared down at it, slowly rising to her feet beside Koji. Tetsuya mirrored them, turning to catch his the brown paper wrapped package.

"Got these a few weeks ago."

Miho unwrapped the box to find a bracelet, black porous beads with a sequence of four different colored stones at the center. Blue, Purple, Red, Turquoise. At either end, they were encased by white beads. She brushed a finger over the beads.

"It's obvious who the blue represents." Koji grinned, slipping it onto his right wrist. He flipped his hair, which had gotten longer in the past month, over his ears. "These are stylin', sensei."

Genma-sensei rolled his eyes. "They're shinobi bracelets, Hoss. Push chakra into the center stones and it activates a low-level chakra pulse that can be sensed by tracking summons." Miho swallowed. 'A few weeks ago' was when her teacher saw the future. When he saw buildings collapsing and wars erupting. When he saw Konoha destroyed in a single blast. When he knew that they were in very real danger on the home front. "Push one-third of your reserves into it and it emits a high-level pulse that humans can sense."

She could feel something in the air, like another shoe was about to drop. Their teacher turned to face them, looking at each of them for a long moment before removing the senbon from his lips.

"The third black bead on both sides is an amantia phalloides pill." Miho flinched. That was an Akimichi-made death pill. How did—"The fourth is a pill recipe developed by Lady Tsunade. It suppresses pain receptors."

A suicide pill and a torture pill.

Miho looked down to the bracelet in her palm.

How worried must Genma-sensei have been to have these made for them?

"And…" Tetsuya's voice shook. "And the first pill, sensei?"

"Not a pill. It's part of Konoha. Those beads were made from a rock that fell off the mountain." He let them look at the bracelets for a moment before returning the senbon to his mouth and rolling his shoulders. "Alright, Book Club. We've got finals to watch and an invasion to repel." Miho slipped the bracelet over her right wrist and watched as Tetsuya did the same. "Stay sharp today. Stay together. Protect each other and protect Konoha."

He moved around the bed and sat his hands on his hips.

"What is it you all say now? 'Book Club, let's get it.'"

* * *

"We'll see you at the arena." Miho waved. She'd found a reason to avoid returning to the estate, saying that she had to go find Naruto and that Genma-sensei kept a spare set of clothes at his house for the whole team after missions. But her brother gave her a sad look. Ino gave her a knowing look and Shikamaru gave her a tired look. "We'll be there later."

Genma-sensei stood with them as they watched Team Ten move like a unit down the road. They'd already laid out a plan for the morning. Stopping by each Clan estate to get their materials and to change clothes before the finals.

"First stop is the grill. We need to get Miho more than just some fried rice or she'll definitely deflate later on." Koji threw an arm around her shoulders, guiding her toward the closest grill on the street.

The market was already bustling with life and excitement, like the build-up to a festival. At nine, the Daimyo would arrive and different dignitaries from estates all over the Nations.

"I'll leave you three to it. Keep to time, guys." Genma-sensei disappeared, Flickering out of sight.

He'd be at Jōnin Command until the competition started, making sure all was prepared for the attack. It was out of her hands to protect her teacher and Aoba-sensei. She could only hope that the Hokage kept his word.

"I need to go see N—"

"Naruto, later. Food, now."

There was no winning against that tone in Koji's voice.

* * *

The senbon made a light 'clink' as it embedded into the concrete wall beside Hayate's head. Genma had to hand it to the jerk. He was fast, probably getting faster with age. Maybe it was Yūgao keeping him on his toes. "You're a piece of shit, Hayate. Don't do this to me."

The guy had the nerve to cough, lifting a hand to cover his mouth.

"It wasn't _my_ call, Genma."

"It was mine." Genma looked over to see Nara Shikaku entering the office, holding out a clipboard with a rough grin. "Also, next time you wanna put new holes in my walls— don't." Unable to refuse the preferred clipboard, Genma grimaced when he read the names. "Whether you want to or not, you're proctoring."

Just barely biting back a '_but why_,' he looked at Hayate. Hayate, who was still alive and kicking. Still alive and marrying his sweetheart. Sighing, Genma resigned himself. He was a sap. And what was worse, people were starting to figure it out.

He needed to kill somebody. Soon.

He rolled the senbon between his teeth with his tongue.

He'd get the chance in a few hours. Then, he'd make some random Suna shinobi pay. He might even make them pay for the fact that he'd put shinobi bracelets in the hands of his students that morning. His genin students. His kids now had suicide and torture pills.

Yeah, making someone a pincushion would be _great_.

Genma looked to Shikaku then, trying to reason through this change. The Nara raised his brows.

The Commander was giving him a chance to be in the middle of the action, to be close to his team and to protect them. Commander Nara was giving him an opportunity to protect his kids. He snapped to attention and saluted. "Not overly enthusiastic about corralling a bunch of teenagers with complexes in to-the-death matches, sir." _But thanks._

"The whole thing's a drag if you ask me."

"You know, you could make Raidō do it. He did get that reprimand last week."

Shikaku just sighed. "He's on Hokage duty along with Hayate, Maen, and Iwashi."

"Iwashi? When'd he get back?"

"This morning. He was recalled last night." Shikaku gave him a meaningful look before turning. Iwashi, Raidō, and Genma in the same place at the same time? It looked like the band was getting back together. Genma huffed a laugh. "Better get a move on, Shiranui. You've got some teenagers with complexes to wrangle."

* * *

"Kid, you gotta work on your timing and presentation." Genma huffed, watching as the Uzumaki was helped up by Shikamaru. The Nara looked so put-upon that Genma barely withheld a laugh. "Throw out your chests and show your faces to the spectators." He watched as realization seemed to hit Minato's kid like an earth jutsu. The crowd went wild, ready for a good show. "You guys are the stars of the 'Final Round.'"

"At the very least, they could've had our names in lights." Yamanaka Ino drawled, brushing a hand at the underside of her hair.

He could feel ANBU positioning themselves around the stadium. He could sense the imposter at the top of the eastern stands. Two real ANBU were stationed near him. While people were distracted by the finals, the platoons would get into position.

With the foreknowledge Miho provided…

"Let's go, Naruto!"

He wondered if the kid could hear her. Miho was shouting from the stands to his left. He could see her up there, throwing one fist up as she yelled. Beside her, the boys smiled up at her. Genma refocused on the Hyuuga and the Uzumaki kid.

He wondered if Naruto would ever know how much Miho did for him. How far she'd go to protect him and his future. How far she'd go and what she'd sacrifice. How far she'd go to protect her Hokage.

It frightened him when he saw it.

Just as much as seeing Konoha shattered.

Uzumaki Naruto- the kid around which all of this revolved- reaffirmed his stance and fisted his hands.

The war was coming. Just now, the battle would-

"Begin."

* * *

**A/N:** It's been super stressful transitioning into this new job! But I know that things will turn out well. I've got hope that things will settle well within the next few months. Thank you so much for reading this story and engaging with it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Please leave me some feedback and have a wonderful day!


	18. Part I: Nonlinear Narrative

_—for lower Wyandotte County until 8:00 Central Standard Time. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for— Tornado emergency for western Kansas City and—_

She turned the station, not wanting to run down her data even more by playing Spotify while streaming the radar on her phone. The screen was becoming brighter and brighter in the growing darkness as the thunderhead rolled over the sky above her car on a two-lane highway just outside of Emporia.

The piano of Elton John started to dance with the rain on her windows.

I miss the Earth so much. I miss my wife. It's lonely out in space…

Her voice was high (as a kite), cutting up over his vocals. Her mind weaved a story along with the lyrics, even as she watched the storm roll over the fields. I think it's gonna be a long, long time. She imagined a Martian colony, Gundams over the stars, and the possibilities of the future. A future she would never live to see, she knew. Her characters navigated it all, some with lightning in their hands and others fighting their way to resolutions. They all got happy endings.

Well, happy for those characters at least.

A bright bell-like sound broke the beat of the strings and the rush of the rain. She pressed her thumb to a button on the steering wheel, watching as lightning jumped over the horizon. "Hello?"

"Hey. You on your way home?"

"Took a little detour on the way. Took K-10 instead of—"

"Tell me you're not chasing that storm! It's dangerous!"

She didn't answer, carefully changing lanes as the rain went full white-out in the falling orange sun. It could be seen on the horizon, under the shelf of clouds. Sighing, she decided to divert. "Class went really well today. I had a student come talk to me after class, said that he really thinks that they're gonna use all of this someday. Made me really happy." There was silence on the other end of the call and she heaved a breath. "Mom."

"That's great, baby. Hold on."

"I'll let you go. I know you've got work. And I'll let you know when I get home, okay?"

"Look out for the weather. It doesn't look good on the radar. You should've gone the other way. There's a tornado warning for your county."

She smiled when she saw lightning streak across the sky in the distance. "Love you. I'll talk to you later."

"Love you. Bye."

The last few strains of Elton John faded. And I think it's gonna be a long, long time.

A new beat started and her hand automatically tapped the rhythm as a guitar lilted. Her voice was loud, over roll of thunder and the roar of her tires on the concrete and the beat of the rain. She sang with abandon and 70 miles per hour euphoria. "Listen to the winds blow, watch the sun rise! Run in the shadows, damn—"

* * *

Somewhere, a clock was ticking. Tick, tick, tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. She lay there, not entirely sure how she got to that place. Her lower back was aching. Her head was aching. Her eyes felt heavy, as if they were being pull through the back of her skull. The after images of a dream flickered in the blackness of her eyelids, rushing voices and screams and whispered words. She could see faces in that darkness, but she couldn't recognize them. People she knew. People she didn't know. A single face in the madness and chaos, the Lord of Pandemonium. Her eyes opened and she was in the dimness of a hospital room.

The speckled ceiling overhead was a dull gray-white, with some bright yellow pouring in through the doorway. Everything seemed distant, foreign. The feel of the sheets on her palms, on her fingertips.

A steady dripping sound was to her right and there was a tightness to her hand. Her throat felt tight when she swallowed. She was sure she'd been drowning. She was sure that she'd been starved for air. She was sure she'd been hanging upside down, bound and gagged and bleeding and—

A figure was sitting by the bedside, his head rolled back and his body slouched. His hand was wrapped around a kunai that lay in his lap.

She knew him.

"Sensei," she murmured.

He didn't awaken and she looked to the right, toward the tightness in her hand. There was someone gripping it tightly, their forehead resting against the skin of her wrist, just above the needles. She could feel the wetness of drool on the sheets.

How long had she been asleep?

Minutes? Hours? Days?

Her muscles were stiff.

What happened?

Her free hand made its way to her throat and she scratched the base, where she felt bandages wrapped around her neck from chest to chin. The bandages were itchy. It made her want to move, to get them off. To somehow free herself. Because she had to free herself, didn't she? She had to get out. She had to get out, right?

Jolting, she looked to Genma-sensei and willed him awake. He would explain everything. He would have the answers. He always had the answers. Her teacher, he always knew what to do. He would know what happened.

"Genma— Genma-sensei—"

The desperation was growing, and she could feel the fear building. And building and building. Like hunger in her gut. Because she could feel the water. She could feel the burn in her lungs. She could feel it all, but— Only Genma-sensei and Tetsuya were there. That meant— It meant that— Her eyes started to fill with tears before she could even comprehend the situation. Because her instincts…

"Sensei, please!"

He was awake in an instant, eyes wide and wild as he stood. His eyes scanned the room, kunai gripped tightly in his palm. She watched as he slid into a defensive stance, five senbon in his left hand as he aimed for the door. Miho flinched. He glanced down, lowering the kunai and the senbon, and the warrior abated.

He surged forward and pressed his face into the pillow beside her head, arm gently wrapping around the front of her shoulders. He was careful, careful like she would break. Like she would shatter.

"Miho. Oh my God, Miho."

She could've sworn he was shaking, but she couldn't be sure as Tetsuya's face appeared in her peripheral vision.

His hair was down from its usual knot, falling in waves around his gaunt face, parched lips, and narrowed eyes. There was a white bandage wrapped around his forehead. He looked…terrible. And he was crying.

"You're— You're awake. Ch-Chubs, you're awake."

He was gripping her hand for dear life, as if she'd disappear if he were to loosen that hold.

"What…What happened?"

Genma-sensei pulled back and looked down with a blank expression. Miho felt her heart sputter and stop, breath catching. She could hear the scream and the sickening sound of bones breaking and she could feel someone growing colder and colder in her arms. She could feel the water, lapping upward as reality bent and broke. She could feel the burning hunger as her body consumed what it could…itself.

Everything.

"Sen-Sensei, he— he—…"

A sob and Miho bit down on her lower lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. Genma-sensei continued to stare down at her, hand brushing the top of her head as he pressed a hand to the bandages. Miho looked to Tetsuya and his grip tightened even more.

"Tetsuya, I— I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I tried so hard to— I couldn't— I couldn't—Where's— Where's Koji?"

"Miho, stop."

She pushed her lips together and forced herself to bring everything in, to push it into her stomach. The tension rested there, festering. "It wasn't your fault. Tetsuya saw everything. He saw what you did for them. You were very brave."

"It wasn't enough. None of it was enough."

"That's not true," Genma-sensei countered with a shake of his head. "The Hokage is alive." Miho tried not to flinch at his tone. "People were spared the worst of what could have happened." She didn't want to see the emphasis in his eyes. The emphasis that she knew Tetsuya couldn't understand. "You took on a group of ninja so much more powerful than yourself, Miho. With odds even a seasoned kunoichi like Utatane Koharu couldn't defeat."

She flinched, looking over to Tetsuya's stone-like expression.

Miho could barley remember it. She'd been sent to defend the evacuees with her teammates, but then—

"You're a hero."

Her head shook.

"N-No, I'm not. I didn't."

"Yes, you did. Miho, you were found unconscious with—"

"You blocked my grandmother and took the hit yourself. She died and took the rest of those jackasses with her. Miho, there were fifteen dead Suna shinobi around you and her. Ko— Koji was— He was— Don't you remember any of it? Don't you remember how you were attacked?"

No.

She couldn't remember anything. Just the water and the wind and the hunger. She couldn't remember fighting. She couldn't remember Utatane Koharu. She couldn't remember Koji. "I…don't remember." Except. Except, she remembered closing her eyes. She remembered her muscles burning. She shivered, looking to Genma-sensei as reality got more and more clear as she woke up more. "Sensei, I-I don't remember anything. N-Nothing after the genjutsu."

"Nothing after—" Genma-sensei sat back down in the chair, letting out a long breath as he seemed to deflate into the metal arms. "Koji got you out of it. Nara and Yamanaka went with your brother to fight the team from Suna with Team Seven. They drew the demon away from the village before it could do more damage."

Miho felt something strange crawling up her spine. It felt…odd.

The strangest sensation, like the world was off-kilter somehow. Like it was wrong. Her neck twinged.

Demon.

The world tilted and she closed her eyes, shaking her head just a bit as if reality would right itself. "Wh-Where's Choji now?"

"Your brother's with you father at the estate." Miho leaned her head back onto the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. The world still seemed strange. Like it existed, but at a distance. As if she were watching this scene play out from behind a screen. Like pixels of color arranged through a signal. Two-dimensional. Miho felt flat.

"Is Ino okay?"

"Ino?" Her teacher rolled his shoulders, eyes going a bit vague over her head. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Yeah. She's safe. She, the Nara, and your brother returned safely. No issues. It seems that your foreknowledge saved them many problems. Speaking of, it saved the Hokage as well. Konoha was saved because of you. We can avoid so much destruction-"

Foreknowledge.

Miho jerked her head around to Tetsuya, only to find that he was not there. The world leaned and Miho felt short of breath, trying to lift a hand to her throat. Only, her hands were restrained to the bed. Leather straps had wrapped around her wrists. Heart pounding, she looked to where Genma-sensei lazed in the chair. His eyes were dull and gold, not their usual warm brown.

"You're well-trained and well-fortified. I will give my cousin her due praise."

"W-What?"

The hospital scene faded and Miho felt herself free-falling until her eyes opened and she blinked in dimness. Her body ached and she could feel that her right leg was in a strange contortion. Something that she couldn't feel. Miho fell backward, upper shoulders slamming into a wall as she fell. Her leg couldn't hold her weight. The chains clattered, a metal cacophony that echoed down a long, hard-rock hallway. Above her, a teen stood and brushed off his vest.

There was no expression on his face. No flicker of anything in his eyes.

No hate. No malice. No mercy. No compassion.

Nothing.

Miho's muscles flinched as if recognizing his presence without even recognizing who he was.

A puppet. A puppet with red hair. Dead gold eyes.

She'd seen him for years.

"Yamanaka Fū."

His blink was slow and assessing. "My cousin has laid so many defenses in your mind over her years venturing into it. Some that I'm sure you could never understand. So many you can't have even known about."

Shifting her weight, Miho gritted through the pain that lanced up her hip from her awkwardly angled knee. It was surely broken, swollen to a grapefruit size now that she could see it in the distant firelight. She'd obviously been in a battle. There was blood coated over her yukata, matted with dirt and sweat. Her weapons were gone, so was half her body weight.

"Did— Did you grab me during the attack?"

She didn't expect to get a response.

"Eventually, her defenses will fall. Lord Danzō will know what you know."

Miho huffed a laugh that sounded more like a cough. Of course, Ino put fail-safes in her head.

Ino had likely made her mind a maze of traps and false realities. False memories.

To give her mind comfort. To give it protection.

Each new mental reality she got thrown into, the mind-invader got pulled along as well, derailed from his mission. Each one, he integrated into. He inhabited the faces of her mind. Each time, he tried to get the answers he wanted. Each time, he failed.

Ino's protections were trying to soften the invasion of Miho's mind, to give her something to cling onto. One day, Ino would be the Head of Torture and Interrogation. Vaguely, Miho wondered if that future would remain intact if she knew that her protective tactics were used like this. Miho had never experienced torture.

She was sure she was enduring it now.

"You don't know Ino."

Miho let her head lean back against the wall, feeling her stomach grumble. Torture for an Akimichi was made worse by hunger, by starvation. She wasn't sure how long she'd gone without food. With her body's new weight, it had to be weeks.

"Go ahead then." She sighed, letting her eyes slide shut. "Let's go on another adventure. Me and you. Maybe Ino will have us—"

* * *

"Lord Hokage, sir."

"Report."

"It's as we suspected. Gaara gave us support in the end. The mission was a success, but…Lord Hokage, there was a casualty."

The Hokage lifted his head and the ANBU watched. The Hokage's lips pulled into a grim line, the light flickering behind his blue eyes. Slowly, he sat back in his chair, bracing his arms on the rests at his sides. The ANBU tried not to flinch. "Who?"

The ANBU hesitated before sighing, reaching up to remove the mask. As the Bear mask was taken from the ANBU's face, a tumble of wild, curly hair fell from a top-knot on her head. Miho sighed tiredly, drawing a hand over the mask. Her father's mask. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't. Not then. Not there.

Not in front of him.

"Koji."

Naruto looked up sharply, concern overtaking his clear blue eyes. Miho tried not to flinch. She'd already overstepped, taking off the mask as she did. But…She needed her friend.

She needed—

"Are you… No, of course you're not okay." His voice was steady, calm. His eyes. They always seemed like the surest way to know what he was thinking, how he was feeling. The eyes that she'd seen in faraway dreams of an older Naruto, a good-hearted Hokage. Her Hokage. "What do you need? What can I do?"

Miho lifted a hand to press it to her forehead. It ached, throbbing from the loss of food, the loss of a friend, of a family member. She didn't know how she would tell Tetsuya. Or Genma-sensei. "I don't know."

"Why don't you tell me what happened?"

She moved to one of the chairs at the side of the room, lowering herself down as gently as she could upon it. Her weight— though less than it had been before her mission— was still enough to crack that ancient chair if she put too much force into falling upon it. Naruto had it brought up from storage when he became Hokage, just in case his guard or any other Akimichi ever needed a sturdy seat.

Miho sat on it more often than she had any right to. Though, she supposed, Shikamaru took the cake for lazing about on the sofa nearby. Since Sasuke was out more often than in, he had no designated seat in the office. Instead, he skulked about, glaring at any chairs that were sat out for him. It'd been months since she'd last seen him.

And she'd never see Koji again.

She felt distant, from everything. From the loss. From the pain.

She should feel more, shouldn't she?

"He took the hit. I don't— I wasn't quick enough. And I'm one of the fastest in the nations, Naruto. That jackass was just faster."

Naruto nodded, eyes squeezing closed. "Man, I— and the wedding was so soon." Miho nodded solemnly, not able to take her eyes off the hardwood floors. Her hands wound about each other. How would she tell Tetsuya?

How could she?

"Couldn't you have just seen it coming?"

Miho stilled, looking over at Naruto. That was never how her foreknowledge worked. That was never how the Images worked. She told him years ago. He knew that. He would never bring it up now. Not when she was hurting like this. Besides, all of those times had passed. She swallowed, eyes flickering toward the village beyond the windows of that old office.

"So, your knowledge doesn't extend this far into the future."

The voice coming from Naruto's moving mouth was not his own. His eyes trickled gold, like the sun under a rainstorm, and Miho felt the world crumble to pieces, swirling around a drain that dragged her back into her bruised body again. Back into the darkness.

And back to the same Yamanaka and the same hand upon her head.

Once more, she felt the push into her mind.

She didn't have the strength to resist.

She hadn't had the strength for days.

It was all Ino's web of defenses.

And Miho wondered how many times she'd watch her friends die, her family die. How many times she'd die—before all of this ended.

Once again, she fell into a dream.

Or a nightmare.

* * *

There was something haunting about seeing him. It was like looking into a mirror in a lot of ways that Kakashi really didn't want to interrogate. Still, he could see the same sort of disconnect, the same sort of…fear. And really, honestly, Kakashi didn't want to get involved.

He had his own shit to deal with. Sasuke's apparent upcoming defection, which he wasn't entirely sure had been diverted. Naruto's obsessive search for a friend that was "not dead." And Sakura's sudden fixation on Tsunade.

Not to mention his "foolish engagement with Uchiha Itachi," as described by the Third Hokage himself. As if he didn't have enough nightmare fuel to last a lifetime.

He really didn't have time for all of this…and Genma, too.

But there he was, handing the jerk a bottle of water and trying not to look at the prone body of the guy's student in a hospital bed. On the other side of the room, Gai was sickeningly quiet. Kakashi always found Quiet Gai to be more disconcerting than nearly anything in the world.

"Any word?"

Genma's shoulders sagged as he took a swig of water, nodding his thanks. "Lady Tsunade said he'll make it."

Kakashi looked down at the Utatane heir's bruised face and the stitched gash that cut up his left cheek. One day, the kid might like those scars, but Kakashi knew that time would be a long way off. Genma's weird student— because Team Five was weird—would see it as a failure. Pity wasn't an emotion that the Copy-Ninja frequented, but he felt it prick at his heart. Poor kid.

"Naruto's…not giving up."

Shiranui was silent, rolling his senbon between his teeth as he capped the water bottle.

"Nah, he wouldn't, would he?"

"There's no word." Gai finally said. It was in That Tone. The tone that held so much weight that Kakashi, nor anyone else for that matter, could ever ignore it. "No results on the search."

"The trail's gone cold."

He wondered if he was twisting the kunai when Genma finally looked at him, eyes carefully devoid of emotion. Shiranui was a top-notch assassin. He was collected under pressure, cool in stressful situations. He was an ANBU Captain at one time in his career. One of the best. One of the Hokage's most trusted. But now?

Now, he was a teacher with no students.

One bed-ridden and unconscious.

One missing.

One dead.

"I'd know if there had been word."

Kakashi held up his palms. "Figured they were keeping you at a distance."

"Yes, friend. After what happened, we believed it best that you—"

"I'm 'at a distance' because I choose to be 'at a distance.' Doesn't mean I'm out of the loop."

There was a sharpness to his tone that told Kakashi to drop it. So, he did. He turned on his heel and walked to the door, drawing his book from his pocket as he went. But something didn't feel right. He wasn't one for empty words or promises. Promises didn't have a way of working out for him or for anyone he knew.

He caught Gai's eyes and Gai shook his head, warning him not to say it. Because Gai had good senses, but Kakashi had never listened to Gai's good senses before.

"She's not dead."

Genma stared at him for a long moment before reaching up to take the senbon from his mouth. "Knowing where she is and what she must be going through…I almost wish she were."

* * *

three weeks earlier

The Third Hokage was alive. Miho watched from below as she ANBU carried him to safety. She watched as Tsunade appeared atop a giant slug as Jiraiya battled the Second Hokage hand-to-hand. The earth quaked beneath Miho's feet and she steadied herself with her naginata, turning to see yet another group of Oto shinobi approaching. The last of the civilians disappeared around the corner along with the rest of the escort.

Dragging a sleeve over her forehead to mop up the sweat, she glanced toward Koji and grinned. "You up for a combo, Hoss?"

"Hell yeah." He nodded, shaking out his arms before falling into a crouch. "Think they'll win against that Snake Jerk?"

Miho shrugged her shoulder, throwing herself to the right and pushing her chakra into her muscles. She could feel the bones rearranging, moving until she was a large sphere hurtling down the dirt road. She felt something hit the ground in front of her and launched into the air, grinning when Koji's senbon rained down upon the Oto nin as they were distracted by her approach.

"Tetsuya shouldn't've run off with Neji."

"They needed to rescue Hinata. He'll be fine." Miho rolled to a stop beside him, crouched down in the middle of the road as two more Oto nin arrived. Sighing, she glanced around before looking up at her teammate. "I'm getting tired. This has got to stop at some point right? The Hokage's alive. Heck, Tsunade is he—"

The blood struck her face, making her eyes shut in reflex.

When her eyes opened again, it was to Koji's face.

The two Oto nin were dead.

His mouth opened, moving as if to form words, but no sound came out. Instead, blood coated the inside edges of his lips. Miho looked down to see a blade protruding from his stomach. The figure behind him withdrew the tanto and she barely had time to turn and block the blow, but that wasn't enough. She recognized the headpiece and goggles from the Images.

Muscles seizing, Miho glanced down to her leg to see one of the attacker's feet striking the knee backward. She bit back a scream as the bones broke, shattering on contact. It burned more than anything, but she forced the pain away. There was no time for it.

Where was the ANBU guard?

Koji fell into the dirt next to her. She swept her naginata around, watching as the attacker stepped back by one step, then two. Like he had all the time in the world. Miho glanced back to see if any reinforcements were in line-of-sight.

No one.

No one would be on this side of the Hokage-level battle in the middle of the village.

He shouldn't have been allowed this close.

If the ANBU guard was still alive then—

She realized two things very quickly: she was never going to escape him and there was no help coming. Not if she didn't do something about it. And she didn't have much chakra left without making some sacrifices.

"Mi—"

She turned, making a decision that she knew could and would cost her everything.

"Koji!"

His eyes were glassy and his chest heaving, as if he couldn't get enough air. Her eyes met his and she knew. He knew. Her hand struggled across the space toward his, but she felt something sting on her neck. When she reached up, she pulled her hand away to find a tiny beetle. The world began to quake and shiver.

No time.

She set the beetle on the ground and reached into her pocket, discreetly pushing two flavored pills into her mouth at once. It was not the greatest of ideas, but desperate times… Koji's eyes were wide and she could see the fear in them. Fear for her. Not fear for himself.

She felt the chakra breaking down the fat and the energy flowing into her limbs, energy pouring our of every pore. She'd never seen the chakra she emitted before, but Chōji once told her that it was golden. Miho turned, ignoring the way the world swam around her.

Torune—Aburame Torune— observed. He didn't move, didn't make any effort to disable her as she pushed to her feet. The knee gave way, but she propped it beneath her.

"I figured my abduction…would be more…secretive."

He said nothing, simply watching. She held the naginata tightly and huffed, feeling the energy building and building. Two pills felt like an adrenaline rush, like what Gai always described of the Eight Gates. Like what Lee told her each gate felt like when it opened.

Miho knew there wasn't much time. Not much time at all.

Sliding her hand up the naginata in a quick move— her family's blood giving her the speed to do it— Miho's hand caught the blade and, with a pained gasp, she slammed her hand into the ground.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"

The brown smoke was thick and smelled of salt and burning leaves. Her body quaked as she chakra spilled from her like the blood out of Koji's body. His chest was still heaving, glassy eyes still watching her. She pushed all of her chakra into her legs, fortifying them so that she could body-flicker in front of Shinrin.

"Get Koji out of here, Shinrin. Hurry!"

Torune moved.

Without the fat-stored chakra that was coursing through her coils, Miho would've never been able to meet him head-on. She threw herself forward, knowing that the cracks she felt in her knee would never be repaired. Flipping her naginata around, she flew into a roll, sweeping the blade over his armored chest.

Shinrin hadn't questioned her orders and had Koji thrown over her back as she ran down the road toward the Hokage's battle. Miho side-stepped a blow, barely avoiding a blade to the stomach when she felt another pinch on her throat. Reaching up, she pulled another beetle away. The world spun, bright lights and shadows blurring. Burning.

Her body was burning.

Her arms wouldn't move and her fingers held no more strength.

The naginata clattered to the ground.

* * *

**A/N:** It's gonna be long breaks between chapters. I am working more than 40hrs/week right now. It's wonderful and rewarding, but also exhausting. This means I don't have as much time to write at the moment. Once things settle into a routine, I hope to have more time.

Otherwise, thank you everyone for your reviews, favorites, and follows! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was written to be _intentionally disorienting._ That being said, I hope that you had fun reading it. Also, RIP to Koji. I am sorry, but...Well, you'll see.


	19. Part I: Crossing the Threshold

Genma met the kid's unwavering blue eyes.

When Miho's memories first entered his head, he thought that her love for Uzumaki Naruto rivaled her love for her own brother. It certainly overtook her love for Konoha. Her devotion to him was probably unhealthy, when Genma really considered it. And he recognized that it was a protective side of him that thought that. Because, ultimately, if Miho died, it would be because of Naruto. Even where she was now, it was because of Uzumaki Naruto.

And, despite everything he knew, Genma understood.

He knew Kushina. He knew Minato. He knew how magnetic they were, and, strangely enough, their son inherited that same magnetism. He drew people in without realizing.

So much so that Miho was fully willing, even at her young age, to lay down her life for his. An almost-thirteen-year-old martyr.

She likely was doing just that—dying for him, wherever she was.

Genma fisted his hand out of the kid's sight, rolling the senbon between his teeth.

But frankly, he didn't want to deal with Naruto at the moment. As much as Genma tried to believe otherwise, more often than not, Naruto had to be dealt with. On so many levels. He gritted his teeth until his jaw popped. Kakashi was an idiot. Even if the damn Uchiha was still in the village, with Orochimaru "dead" and "gone," Naruto was desperate for some kind of stability.

And the kid was looking for it in people outside of his team.

It was with a vague, tired sort of irritation that Genma swore petty vengeance of Hatake Kakashi— because the dog-faced prick was a damned idiot. Didn't the guy realize that kids needed support structures? Did he realize that his kids needed help coping?

Well, no, strike that. Kakashi would never realize something like that.

Genma sighed. Damn it.

"Whatcha doin' here, Short Stuff?"

Naruto grimaced and shifted, scuffing a sandal at a black mark on the linoleum. His eyes fell to the floor and he seemed to think through his words. A lot more caution than Genma had come to expect out of him. Miho had told him, shown him, time and again, that Naruto was not the hellion he appeared to be. It seemed the kid was going to drop the act. Finally, the blond lifted his head, determination in his eyes.

"We'll get her back, Genma-sensei. I'll make sure we do. Believe it."

Caught a little off-guard, Genma pulled the senbon from his lips and frowned. The kid didn't know what he was saying. He didn't know how many shinobi were trying to get her back already. How many S-rank ninja were trying to come up with some kind of feasible plan. A plan that may doom the village in the process. "It's not that easy, kid. We don't even know where she is or if she's alive."

Both of those things were lies.

She was in Danzō's base.

They knew where that was.

They'd known for days.

The Fifth Hokage had to tread lightly, carefully. Genma forced the tenor of anger that echoed around his heart.

And his student was probably alive— because she was more useful alive.

"What happens when resources run out?"

At least, that was what Genma hoped.

In the back of his mind, though, he also hoped she was dead. He'd seen what torture did to people. He watched first hand when friends returned from captivity in Iwagakure. How their eyes were vacant, how they lost touch with reality. How shattered they were. She had the bracelet. He wondered if he'd given her something to ease the pain. Some respite. He wondered if he'd already helped her escape. Just, maybe, in a way that was more...permanent. Did she still have it?

Naruto took two steps forward, filled with a sort of righteousness that any other person might've felt either chastised or swayed. Genma just looked on, tiredly watching the show. "She's alive! I know she's alive! I would know if she was dead. And she's not! Miho is the strongest! She's the strongest. And I told her I'd— I told her I'd—" Genma let out a breath, watching as the kid struggled to say it.

Naruto had promised to protect her.

She'd told her team that, with that easy smile she wore when she was content or humored. She knew she'd be protecting him more than he could ever protect her. At least for a while. Until the kid came into his own.

Sighing, Genma shook his head. "Kid, you've got other things to worry about."

Namely, his impending departure with the Toad Sage.

Namely, Itachi's sure-to-come torture of his teammate.

Namely, Uchiha Sasuke's impending break from reality.

Naruto's jaw obviously clenched and, jōnin or no, Genma shivered at the rush of raw chakra that rippled in the room. A shiver ran down his spine. It was only intensive ANBU training that kept him from going on-guard. Instead, his expression hardened.

"Get it together, Uzumaki Naruto. This isn't the time for a tantrum."

The chakra exploded and then subsided just ask quickly as it'd come, settling back down as Naruto's shoulders rounded and his head lowered. With practiced ease, Genma stood and busied himself in straightening out Tetsuya's sheets, ignoring the way Naruto's shoulders were shaking and the smallest sobs that tore at the silence of that damn hospital room.

"I'm— I'm sorry, Genma-sensei."

He lifted his head, looking at the blond that Miho was willing to die for. The blonde that her brother was avoiding like the plague. The blonde that had saved Konoha from a fellow jinchuriki. All of the fight, all of the anger, flooded from Genma and he eased himself down into the chair by Tetsuya's bedside.

"It's not your fault, Naruto. None of this is your fault."

It was the Third's fault.

Danzō's fault.

It was Chōza's fault.

Damn it, it was Chōza's fault.

Hell, Genma thought. It's my fault.

"She's alive. I kn-know she is."

Genma bit the inside of his cheek, settling the senbon at the corner of his lips. He looked down to Tetsuya's pale face, ignoring how desperately he wanted to believe the kid's words. "Ok, Naruto. Ok."

* * *

Shikamaru heaved in a breath and watched his father move the piece.

As tired as he was, he couldn't shake the feeling. The feeling that his father was withholding information. Like it was sitting on the tip of his father's tongue. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he couldn't. It was an irritating, niggling feeling that pricked underneath his skin. Sighing, he slid the pawn forward, sacrificing it to his father's general. He stared at the piece, at the reddish undertone of the wood.

It reminded him a little too much of that scarf she wore.

"Are you going to make my friend a pawn?"

His father didn't answer, leaning forward to push forward another pawn. And that only confirmed what Shikamaru had already guessed. His father knew something. Something related to Miho's abduction. He was consciously not taking the pawn Shikamaru had sacrificed. He was consciously not destroying the 'Miho-pawn.'

Damn it.

"She already is a pawn. Isn't she?"

His father cut him a look.

Miho'd been a pawn her whole life. He knew that. What was likely worse...She knew that. Her knowledge made her more of a pawn than a player. She was smart, but not smart enough to out-maneuver anyone. Instead, she relied on him. Shikamaru felt the irritation bubbling under his skin. Miho was a pawn and he was a player. He moved a castle.

Ino had been unbearable for weeks. While her rage— and it was rage— was justified, it was also tiresome. Day-in and day-out, she threw herself further and further into her training. Shikamaru kinda wondered if she'd ever emerge from her training again, even if Miho somehow survived. As if being able to disrupt an enemy's mind chakra would've made a difference. As if being able to possess an enemy from two feet closer… Shikamaru sighed.

Who was he kidding? Two feet closer could make all the difference.

He knew that better than anyone.

Just like how his father was trying to lead him into a trap.

Two traps.

Three traps.

"Inoichi told me." His father's voice was controlled, careful. Shikamaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes, moving another piece. The gravity in his voice was grating. "Trees cannot grow without roots."

A sick feeling roiled in Shikamaru's gut. He raised his eyes from the board to stare at his father's haggard face. The vest that sat over his shoulders felt heavier somehow. Were they trying to somehow justify Root's existence? Shikamaru blinked slowly, steadying his bearings. He tried not to look down at the reddish pawn. "Yeah, but if the roots are rotten, the tree will die anyway."

His father nodded and something uncoiled in his chest. Good. So, they weren't trying to justify. "Inoichi's knowledge only goes so far regarding trees. We all know he's more of a flower boy." We have prisoners in T&I. Inoichi's been working them. "He says we can save some of the trees in the forest if we act quickly to change the conditions of the soil." Shikamaru let out a breath at the coded message, looking out at the lawn and, beyond, at the Nara Forest. "He and I are discussing it with the Akimichi tonight, since they provide our planting soil."

Chōji had been quiet, withdrawn, convinced it was entirely his fault. To some degree, it probably was. While no one blamed him, his best friend blamed himself. And his father. And, to some degree, Naruto. Shikamaru hadn't visited the Akimichi estate in days, not quite willing to deal with the heavy air that lingered around the compound there. An air of grief and anger.

Miho wasn't even dead yet.

It'd be stupid to kill her.

No, Shikamaru was pretty sure Akimichi Miho was still alive.

"Considering the Akimichi control the soil..." Shikamaru watched his father's expression for any sign that his guess was correct. So, he was right. The ramped-up imports following the Invasion were part of an Akimichi political maneuver. More resources were flooding in from outlying Akimichi-run farms.

If the Akimichi decided to stop importing, then Konoha would be in famine.

The Akimichi Clan Head was making veiled threats.

Those threats would never work. Danzō would never care for the people of the village.

"That would be why we're talking to them."

"Yeah? Sounds like a drag. Do I gotta go?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you do."

Shikamaru sighed, lowering his head into his hands. "Chōji and Ino gotta go too?"

"Yeah." His father's eyes cut toward the edge of the lawn, to the treetops. Shikamaru kept his response carefully concealed. They were being watched. His father was making it very obvious that he saw it. "It's a lot of boring talk, but as the heir, you need to know how to care for the forest."

Shikamaru lifted his head and moved his piece, a smirk pulling at his lips.

For the rest of the game, the reddish pawn piece stayed in place. It never moved once.

* * *

She had no weapons. No tools. Nothing that would be useful in escaping. Even her fat stores were nearly consumed, too busy keeping her alive for weeks with minimal caloric intake. Even after two pills, she had just enough to survive. Just enough not to outright kill her. Supplemented by Danzō's goons. Miho wondered, during what must've been her second week of captivity, whether Danzō was now trying to starve her into submission.

He underestimated her stubbornness.

And Ino's skills.

And her fat stores.

Still, she knew that none of those things would last much longer.

Danzō was a man with a long game. Miho knew she'd lose that game eventually.

She was guarded at all times, but one. Each time. Whenever Yamanaka Fu left her alone, a Root operative was positioned at the door of the cell, a silent ghost-like presence. But they wouldn't arrive for another two minutes after Yamanaka Fu left. She often wondered if a pale artist was somewhere in the base. She could remember him, from the Images. Sai. She could remember so much more than she ever could before. Her mind, while locking down upon itself, was unraveling.

Her mind was no longer constellations of stories.

That was simplistic.

Her mind was now a galaxy. So many stars and stories that she could barely distinguish one from the next. They overlapped, melded together in some sort of cosmic mix-up.

Her body was bruised. Her knee was damaged beyond repair. Miho figured there was no real hope of rescue. For the Hokage— Third or Fifth, it didn't really matter— to stage a rescue, Danzō would need to be removed first or they'd risk all-out war. No Root agent could directly disobey Danzō's orders. Nor could they speak of his atrocities.

Not to mention all the political power that Danzō wielded.

A rescue wasn't likely. Wasn't possible.

There was no Chōji coming to save her.

No clan. No father.

No Shikamaru.

No Ino.

No Team Five.

No Genma-sensei.

No Naruto.

"You will succumb to me. Soon. Very soon."

At nearly three weeks into captivity, as Yamanaka Fu walked from her cell and her body fell onto the rough cot that had been given to her, Miho recognized a single fact:

If she wanted to survive, _she'd have to save herself._

When she'd been hanging upside down in that car on the side of K-10, her chest punctured by the steering column and wind swirling, she hadn't been able to save herself. She didn't even have the strength to press the button for help. She'd just dangled there, waiting for the end. Her arms had gone numb and then her legs and her chest and then everything.

But, in this life, _she still felt_.

She could feel the buzz of energy just underneath her skin.

She could _try_.

Her fingers rolled the beads on her bracelet. Remarkably, they didn't take it. And it rested on her dirty skin like a vice. An easy death was an option. Lack of pain was an option. But, Miho couldn't commit to either. She'd made a promise to Team Five to avoid using the suicide pill at all costs, and all of her options weren't yet gone.

She'd been thinking of this for days.

Or a week. Miho wasn't sure.

Time was irrelevant in that cell.

Miho didn't have enough for an expansion or for any other heavy-hitting battle techniques. None of those techniques would work. She'd never make it out. Never make it to the surface.A summon usually cost at least half of her chakra reserve.

All that was left was the blood in her veins, the weight she had left, and a Hail Mary choice.

(She remembered game days. Things were floating to the surface, as if they'd been held under water for so long. Decayed bits of leaves and memories. She went to games when she was young— bright colors and bands and loud celebrations. Her father loved them. A team with feathers.)

She had no conception of time in that cell. All notion of time was taken from her. Miho lived in other worlds with other times, day and night existed at the same time. In that cell, she was both alive and dead. Schrodinger's kunoichi. She shouldn't remember obscure theories when she couldn't even remember her own name or the name of her mother there. Or her father's name, there. Still, she was alive and dead.

The other lives...

And she was desperate.

And she saw a way out.

Pushing herself upright, Miho lowered herself down to the floor, careful not to bend her right leg. It would never be the same. She knew that. It never would and she never would, if she survived. Which wasn't likely. Like a lot of things. Survival was a far off hope.

And Miho wanted to survive.

She wanted to see so much. Do so much. Experience so much that she'd missed in other lives. Other places. Other times. Other worlds. She still had a life to live. Together, with her friends. Her team. Her family.

Miho would give it her best shot, and have nothing to regret otherwise.

Lifting her right hand, she bit into her thumb and watched the blood swell and fall to her dirty palm. The grit of dirt mixed the copper of her blood in her mouth and she squeezed her eyes shut, saying a silent prayer. Because she had to believe in something.

Like the hope that her father and mother, both sets from both places, were watching her. Her grandparents, from both worlds. All of the worlds. Guarding her. Helping her. Giving her strength.

"Make it count, honey."

She rocked onto her good knee and slammed her hand into the floor. Her breath rattled in her chest as her chakra stores shrank to next-to-nothing. Every muscle ached and the strangest pull tore through her chest as she fell back into the edge of the cot as the smoke cleared. Her remaining fat stores shriveled. She could hear, somewhere in the distance, the tip-tap of approaching footsteps. It seemed to echo. It seemed louder, somehow.

"Lady Miho!"

Delicacy. Patience. Miho shook, handing a bit of metal over to the tiny bear cub that stared up at her. The little one's claw scratched at her palm as he took it. The footsteps were nearly to the cell. "Go."

"But you're—"

"Go. Now."

The cub puffed into smoke and Miho let out a quivering breath, watching with heavy-lidded eyes as the gate to the cell was drawn open. Despite how tired she was, Miho found the energy to smile a bit. Her arms felt numb. The same sensations she'd felt before. So many times before. And Miho knew what was coming. But still, she just smiled as Yamanaka Fu entered the cell, towering over her as her chest rattled.

"You…wanted to know…what happened to your…friend." Miho forced it out as he knelt down, hands glowing green over her chest as he pushed chakra into her coils. She felt it burn. She jerked a hand up and grabbed his wrist. Weeks, he'd been in her head. Weeks, he'd been forcing her to stay alive, pumping her full of chakra. She knew him now. More than he ever wanted her to know him. He knew her, more than she ever wanted to...

"He dies before you. He dies."

Just as the dark was pushing into her eyes, she felt a pull in her stomach.

* * *

Ki—the Great Bear, the Thunder Bear, the Bear of the Center Mountain— hurried forward. His deep blue robes swung about behind him like a storm. His youngest cub had gone to their summoner after a long time of silence, only to find her near death. She'd given his littlest one a small plate of metal with a message etched crudely into the surface. Metal on metal. Carefully scratched kanji.

So, the Great Bear summoned Okuda Keisuke's daughter to the Center Mountain.

She appeared there in the reception hall, emaciated and thin like a scarecrow. She was just barely breathing, chest rattling with death. Okuda Miho— Little Akimichi Miho— was nearly translucent as her glazed eyes stared up at him. For a moment, he saw her mother. He saw the sweet Chisato, belly round with child, and Keisuke's giddy smile. The girl collapsed as if she were a marionette with her strings severed. Ki bounded forward.

"Summon Ha now!" Drawing the Little One into his forepaws, he rushed from the reception hall and into the bright green and gold writ town on the Center Mountain. His clan members paused in their tasks, looking to him in surprise. He was never a fast bear if he did not have to be. "Tsuyoi, call Shinrin to the Healers Den at once!" The bulking form of his nephew disappeared, quick as shadow.

He wondered, as every great protector might, what led to the girl's condition. Captivity, certainly. Torture, most likely. Her skin was falling in flaps, fat drained at too quick a pace. Her chakra was nearly gone, the smallest wisp keeping her alive. Even that may not sustain her long. Ki bounded into the Healers Den, settling the girl on the wooden table of Healer Ha, who ambled up, brushing gray fur out of his old eyes.

"What have we here? What have we here? A human?"

Ha's eyes narrowed before he looked up to Ki's enormous height.

Before his grandfather, he was as a cub once more. He lowered his mighty head, pressing a paw to the girl's left shoulder. She showed no signs of consciousness. "She sent us a note. Used the last of her chakra to summon Fuwa."

The Grandfather of the Bears lent down, pressing his snout to her chest before blowing out a rush of air. His hackles rose. "The girl is Keisuke's daughter." Before Ki could confirm his words, Ha flew into action, raising both gnarled forepaws to rest over the girl's form. They glowed a pale green with the chakra Ha pushed into her system. "Her coils are damaged." When Ki saw the flash of anger in his grandfather's ancient eyes, the Thunder Bear wondered what the girl had endured.

"Damaged coils?"

"Foreign chakra has burned her coils." Healer Ha growled, fanning both paws over her. "She's been sustained this way for at least a week, perhaps more. By an ignorant field medic. They did not plan for her to survive. Merely, to survive long enough." The Bear Grandfather let loose a frustrated and angered breath as his paws traveled to linger over her head and her knees. "He knee is irreparable and..." After a moment, the Great Healer Ha let out a roar.

Despite himself, Ki jolted at the sudden yell. "What-?"

"Father, what is... My Lady!"

Shinrin bounded into the room, arriving to the summoner's other side. Ki ignored his daughter's whimpering and worrying, instead focusing on the way his grandfather's green-lit paws came to rest over the girl's head. His thick, bushy brows furrowed in concentration even as his snout drew back in a snarl.

"Father-"

"This girl has been tortured. To within a mere wisp of her life. We shall discuss more later." The snarl faded and the old bear's shoulders sagged. "She needs a chakra infusion or she will not make it through the next moon."

Shinrin, his lovely daughter, his first cub, a protector in her own right who had lost her own charges once before, stepped forward. Her long teeth were bared and she dipped her great head forward. "Take my chakra, Grandfather Ha."

Healer Ha turned to Lord Ki and the Great Bear felt his hackles rise. To give a human such chakra was against the Old Ways that many summons prided themselves in following. However, Lord Ki had seen many human millennia. He'd watched as the Old Ways passed away. To give Okuda Miho such chakra would be to make her part of the Bear Clan. She would become a Bear in energy, a wardeness of the Center Mountain, as true as any full-furred relative. It would bring her hardships; it would bring her pain. His dark eyes cut over to Shinrin's desperate stare. Her claws tapped on the beaded belt she wore.

And he remembered: Keisuke kneeling before him. Keisuke taking up the last remnants of the Okuda legacy. Keisuke, so very happy to be expecting a cub of his own. Keisuke, with that Akimichi girl. Keisuke, with the cub's den decorated in little bears.

Keisuke, who was no longer able to protect his cub.

Lord Ki felt the weight of centuries and traditions weigh his shoulders down.

"Do it. Just do it, Healer Ha."

"The ramifications will be-"

"It matters not. Give her the energy of Center Mountain." Lord Ki moved to set himself at the edge of the healing chamber, watching as his cub lay her head on the opposite table. It was a delicate process, a careful and intricate technique. It would take hours. It would take days. "Let this not be a mistake." The Great Bear hoped that, somewhere in the human spirit world, that Keisuke was listening.

* * *

**A/N: **It's been a long time, huh? I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'm writing as I have time and enjoying the fun of writing whenever I can. I hope you all have a wonderful week!


	20. Part I: Arc

He unfolded the picture. It was a little worn now. He looked at it too often, so the edges were fraying and worn. Part of him knew that he had to put it away eventually, in a frame, so he'd always have it preserved. He just wasn't there yet. The faces on the picture were too familiar now, too comforting. He needed those faces now more than ever.

Next to his parents— Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina— were two of their friends. A tall, big-bodied man with a really big smile and really, really warm eyes and a woman with soft features and a familiar grin. Okuda Keisuke and Akimichi Chisato, Miho's parents. He shuddered, running a quivering finger over their faces.

They died. All of them.

He and Miho had sat up late one night, after she'd cooked him a big meal, and brought him even more food, too. After she'd told him about his parents and given him something that he'd never had before. They talked about how close their parents were, how much'd be different if they lived. Miho'd reached up and held his hand from her pallet on the floor. He remembered that her dark eyes seemed to glow from the moonlight coming in through the window.

_"Our parents were friends, Naruto. We'll be even better friends than them, I think. We'll be stronger than them too. I believe that."_

Naruto swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat, rolling his shoulders as he folded the picture and put it into the pocket of his jacket. After a long moment, he stood and looked toward the monument. His father's face stared out into nothing above him. He wondered if his father would understand.

Miho— his friend— was still out there somewhere. It didn't seem right.

He couldn't let that go anymore. No matter what anyone said.

With a sigh, he reached up to adjust his forehead protector.

"Don't be stupid."

Jolting at the voice, Naruto turned to see Nara Shikamaru emerging from the shadows, hands hooked into his pockets. The guy looked exhausted, dark bags resting under his narrowed eyes. "Just— Just what the hell are you doin' here?"

"Stopping you from doing something troublesome, apparently." Naruto felt his shoulders tense and tried to look as nonchalant as he could. Because really…he wasn't up to anything. Nah, not him. Super innocent. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You are so _obvious_."

"No, I'm not!" Gulping down a wave of anxiety at the deadpan look he received, Naruto heaved a laugh, scratching at the back of his head. "Nah! I'm just out and…and about for a stroll! I like scrolls— strolls! Needed one after that stupid fight with the bas— jerk— with Sasuke today! What's his deal anyway?" He laughed a bit before feeling the sensation of dullness overtake the panic. It overtook everything, when it had enough power. Naruto's laughter faded away and he looked at Shikamaru's patiently impatient face. "Okay, fine."

"You fought with Sasuke?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, he challenged me. He was pretty determined, and I didn't want to hurt—"

"Shit. Those idiots." Shikamaru turned, a determined set to his shoulders. "Come on."

"What— Why? I've—I've got things to do."

"You're _not_ chasing down Miho tonight. Don't be a drag and come on. We've got somewhere to be. I didn't just hunt you down to stop your stupid self-assigned mission." Scoffing, Naruto held his ground and planted his feet, only for his body to feel tight and his feet to move on their own. He swung his arms, trying to correct his balance as his body moved of its own accord. "Fine. I'll just take you myself."

"The hell? You—Let go, Shikamaru!"

"No. You'll waste time."

"Look who's talking!"

Shikamaru's shoulders shrugged and Naruto felt his do the same. They were running now, moving toward the Hokage Tower at breakneck speed. Naruto wondered what lit a fire under Shikamaru's ass. After all, Sasuke was just being the jerk he was— maybe made worse by that bastard brother of his.

_Definitely_ made worse by that bastard brother of his.

Naruto eased control of his muscles, letting Shikamaru take him directly to the Tower doors.

When the shadows pulled away, Shikamaru turned on his heel. His solemn expression was the only thing that kept Naruto from leaping at the guy. He knew Shikamaru. He knew him well enough to know that this was serious. He turned and grabbed Naruto's jacket, pulling him into the building.

"Look, there's a lot more going on than you know about, okay? Miho's been at the heart of it from Day One and it's landed her where she is. It got her teammate killed. It got us burned. You got to trust me and keep your mouth shut." Naruto thought Shikamaru looked like he regretted every decision he'd ever made. It was—

Wait.

Wait!

"Miho— You know where she is?" His voice rose to a near-shout and Shikamaru's hand flew forward to catch over his mouth. Naruto sputtered at the bitter taste of dirt.

"Are you _trying_ to get her killed?" Shikamaru looked around, sighing when he saw that there was no one in the front receiving room. Rolling his eyes toward the ceiling, the Nara huffed and his shoulders sagged. "Why did he think this was a good plan? Look, if you want her trust in you to mean anything— _shut up for the next thirty seconds_." He jerked his head toward the stairwell Naruto knew led to the Hokage's office.

"Why'd you drag me here, huh?"

"To keep you from getting yourself killed. And because I was ordered to go get you." Slouching even more into himself, Shikamaru looked way more tired than Naruto had ever seen him. And, sure, Shikamaru was normally a pretty chill dude, but this was…exhaustion. He'd known Shikamaru since Miho'd— "You really think the Akimichis would let Konoha do _nothing_?"

"Sure seemed like they weren't doing anything!" Naruto retorted, feeling himself being thrown through the Hokage's office door without really paying much attention to it. "She's been gone for a _month_. If no one else can find her, then I—"

"Brat. Shut up!"

"Ouch! Damn it, you old hag!" Naruto winced, dragging himself up off the floor. The old woman packed a wallop. "Just what the hell do you want, huh?"

People liked to think he was unobservant. And he was. Kinda. Sometimes. Not really. Naruto could sense the ANBU in the room, hidden somewhere out of sight. He'd been sensing them since he was little, so he could outrun them or outsmart them. It was actually Sasuke that first noticed. _Chakra sensitivity,_ he said. He'd kept Naruto's secret. Snorting at Granny Tsunade's glare, he looked up at the ceiling as if rolling his eyes. Behind him, Shikamaru scoffed and muttered something under his breath.

A lot of ANBU.

"What was that, Nara?"

"What a drag," Shikamaru murmured before stepping up to Naruto's side. "I said it would've been better to just…knock him out or something."

Naruto whipped around, glaring at Shikamaru's deadpan stare. "What was that?"

Judging by the Nara's dull stare, that wasn't exactly what he said and he'd be counting on Naruto to hear it in the first place.

"Brat, knock it off if you want to get the Akimichi brat back."

His jaw snapped shut before he felt the anticipation and anger get the better of his senses. "Whaddya mean if I want to get the Akimichi brat back? Her name's Miho and she's ten times the kunoichi you'll ever be, you old hag!" Naruto had started forward, wrenching his jacket sleeve up his right arm when something grabbed the back of his neck, yanking him full off the ground. "What _the hell_—" Wrenching around, he felt the fight begin seep out of his muscles and he slackened. "Genma-sensei."

The guy was dressed in a standard ANBU get-up, mask in his other hand. His usual senbon hung between his lips and his eyes were as sad as they'd been for the past month. Naruto couldn't bring himself to fight back against Miho's teacher.

Not when her teacher was hurting so much.

"Settle down, kid. We figured you were gonna make a move soon, but boy howdy, you got some timing. You're not the type to twiddle your thumbs. Shikamaru was on watch. And we can't let you do something to jeopardize everything. Not that you could find her. Not where she is."

Genma-sensei set him on the floor again. A hand rested on the top of his head and Naruto looked up through the fringe of his hair at Genma-sensei's tired face. Vaguely, Naruto wondered if he would ever be that tall. Somehow, Genma-sensei seemed bigger than Kakashi-sensei.

Maybe because Miho was so big and Genma-sensei always seemed bigger than her.

Like the protector of the protector or something.

"You… You know where Miho is? Why— Why isn't she here? Where is she?"

Another ANBU appeared. Then another and another. They were masked, but Naruto recognized their chakra, the feel of it from when he was young. They used to guard him. He led them on chases throughout Konoha back then.

Genma-sensei looked to Tsunade before turning and lowering himself to a knee at Naruto's side. His dark eyes glanced toward where Shikamaru stood, nodding in reassurance. For some reason, Naruto felt sick. When someone— an adult— lowered to a knee to explain something, it was always serious. Kakashi-sensei never did it. Uncle Chōza had though, telling him that he was welcome in the Akimichi Estate any time.

Miho'd been crying then. She'd thrown herself into Uncle Chōza's arms.

"We know where she is. The team leaves tonight to get her back. When I said you had some timing…"

Naruto pulled in a breath, ready to tell them that he could go too. Miho would need someone to be there for her, to get her. She would need him. And he'd need to kick the ass of whoever did—

"Naruto, you can't go with the team. It's jōnin and up. It's one of the highest-level missions in village history. It's only out of respect for you that we're telling you."

_Out of respect for you…_Every argument in Naruto's head was silenced.

"As the only capable member of Team Five, I have a request to make." Naruto swallowed, remembering Koji's picture along with all the others at the funeral. At the furthest end from Grandpa's, the Third Hokage's. A no-name 'orphan.' Tetsuya was still laid out in the hospital, one floor up from where Sasuke'd been, where Sakura sat at his teammate's bedside. Tetsuya, who had no idea that he'd lost one team member and— "Think of it as a mission from me and Miho, okay?"

Naruto nodded, instinct bowing his head forward even as Genma-sensei's grip loosened and fell away.

"Guard Tetsuya and be there for him if he wakes up. It's a lot to ask from someone your age, I know. I'd ask someone older, but…everyone else I trust has a mission."

He wasn't an idiot. He could read between the lines. All of the people Genma-sensei trusted were going to get Miho. Naruto's eyes skittered over to where Shikamaru had saddled up next to one of the masked ANBU that had a familiar ponytail. Trying not to be irritated that even Shikamaru had a mission, Naruto let out a breath.

_Everyone else I trust._

"I'll stay at the hospital until you get back, Genma-sensei. I'll watch over Tetsuya. Believe it."

Genma-sensei nodded, settling a hand onto Naruto's shoulder as he stood. And Naruto noticed that Miho's teacher didn't release his shoulder like others might. Like Kakashi-sensei did. Instead, Genma-sensei gripped his shoulder as if it were a lifeline. Something silent seemed to pass between the ANBU in the room and the Fifth.

She nodded and Naruto felt the presences disappear. All but three.

Shikamaru shifted from one leg to the other, looking out of the dark window toward the lights of Konoha. Granny Tsunade moved to the other side of her desk, shoulders hunched. And…

He turned to see a large man behind an owl mask standing in the corner. It was a chakra he'd felt before, but not one that had chased him around Konoha. He knew the Owl was looking at him and he stared right back, determined not to falter under the man's gaze. It wasn't in Naruto to back down. The Owl nodded and disappeared.

Wild red hair. Big, big body.

Naruto opened his mouth to say the name out loud, but felt a hand land on his left shoulder. Shikamaru shook his head, seeming way more tired than ever.

"To your missions, both of you." Granny Tsunade ordered, voice quiet and weighty. "It's gonna be a long night…for all of us."

* * *

Genma was bleeding. He wasn't sure how much blood he'd lost, but it was probably a good (see: _bad_) amount, judging from the way his head was spinning. He wasn't squeamish around blood— couldn't be as one of the top assassins in the game. Still, seeing it paint his hand wasn't exactly comforting. With a sigh, he wiped his hand off on his pant leg and drew himself up, checking his ribs for breaks. None. Good chance of fractures though.

He looked down at the body. Another kid. Maybe sixteen or seventeen.

The floor shook and a presence entered the hallway behind him. Aoba. Then, Hayate.

The smell of chamomile no longer clung to Hayate like it did in the man's apartment, when Genma had shown up to retrieve him for the mission. Yuugao had given him some tea while they both changed into their gear. The man smelled like metal, like blood.

The shaking grew more violent, bits of rock falling from the tunnel's ceiling. If Genma had been claustrophobic, he'd see himself buried there. As it was, he just wanted to see Danzō's headless body torched.

"Anything?"

"Nothing but brainwashed kids out to defend their batshit master." Genma looked down at the pale face of the dead teen. Killing him hadn't been Genma's first or second choice, but— "Any luck on recovery?"

"Got about six up a level." Hayate shrugged, dragging the blade of his sword over his arm guard to clear away the blood. "The younger ones are not in as deep. The ones twenty and older are…not receptive."

"Putting that kindly," Aoba scoffed. He edged forward along the tunnel wall, darting across an opening to the other side. "I count another three cells."

"They had her in here deep." Hayate's voice was level, but it made Genma want to scream. This was as deep as the system went. She was buried down here, if she was down in this place at all. She was never meant to see the light of day again. That much was clear.

Again, the mountain shook.

"You think Deer can beat him?"

"It's not just Deer anymore." Aoba commented and gestured a four then tapped his forehead. We've got four guards. Two adults. Two teens. "It's Deer, Owl, and Cougar. It's only a matter of time."

Genma rounded the corner, throwing nonlethal senbon into the four teens. Two were likely around his team's age— twelve or thirteen. He swallowed down a kneejerk gasp when he recognized one from Miho's Images. The Painter was here, shielded behind a gray-haired kid. In front of the two, a redhead drew the senbon from his arm while an obvious Aburame pulled the sleeves of his yukata up, even as he fell to one knee. His skin was a coursing purple.

Genma felt sick, recognizing the insects.

Rinkaichū.

"Root is an illegal organization within Konohagakure. You are all being commanded to stand down by the Fifth Hokage."

While the two young ones— Sai, that was his name— stood down almost immediately, the Aburame and the redhead, a Yamanaka now that Genma could see the kid's eyes more clearly, repositioned themselves for battle. It was a tandem movement. Genma glanced toward Hayate, nodding. The Aburame was likely getting his hive to process the poison. The Yamanaka didn't have that benefit and that was clear by the sweat on his brow.

Just as Hayate started to move, the redhead scoffed a laugh. "You're her teacher."

Genma stilled. If that wasn't a baiting tone… "Really? You're being vague for the sake of what? Drama?" Scoffing, he not-so-subtly pulled four senbon from his thigh pouch. "Say her name if you're gonna bait me, Red." The redhead shrugged, angling himself just slightly in front of the Aburame.

The Aburame did will in hiding his offense at the defensive gesture, but the slightest downward turn of his lips was enough to signal his anger. Aburame's were so obvious with their emotions. Shibi was stoic, sure, but he was also obvious. It seemed a life of conditioning couldn't hide that typical trait. Just like Yamanakas often had a flair for the dramatic. This one was no exception.

"Lord Danzō acquired some interesting information from the girl."

"Lie." Aoba called out from where he was watching the tunnel they'd just come through. There was a secondary cell approaching from that direction. Genma could sense it. Hayate saddled himself to the left, blocking the only exit the kids could have made. "He's broadcasting. Kid, you're not good at guarding your thoughts. Like, at all. It's ironic that you can read minds."

"You're not a Yamanaka." The redhead declared, voice decidedly vacant. "You cannot know my thoughts."

Aoba shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. You didn't get a thing from Akimichi Miho."

Then, the Yamanaka _moved_.

Genma threw the senbon, making the Yamanaka avert to the right. Hayate was on him then, best positioned to take on the kid's battle strategy.

In a few years, the redhead probably would've wiped the floor with old Hayate. As it stood, experience outweighed talent. Genma watched as Aoba moved to help, battling off the Yamanaka's attempts to Mind Transfer.

There was a buzzing sound and Genma turned to see a mass of impossibly small purple bugs hovering about next to the Aburame, who moved to stand. That mass was familiar. Achingly familiar. Terribly familiar. Genma wondered briefly just how _the hell_ Danzō got ahold of— Seeing an opportunity, Genma flicked a senbon.

The kid winced as his purple, bared arms slowly became skin once more. The rinkaichū receded, drawing back into their hive. Rinkaichū prioritized their hive above all else. More complex than bees. Multiple queens. Queens that left the safety of the hive to act as incubators on new hosts. The queens were the main weapons of a rinkaichū hive. One queen dead was more than enough.

Grinning a bit at the teen's dumbstruck expression, Genma withdrew one of the containment seals from his hip pouch, pushing chakra into the paper. On the wall of the tunnel, just beside the Aburame's head, the tiny queen was impaled into the granite. The purple bug was oozing an even darker purple. The size of a gnat. A mortal blow for an already-weakened Aburame. He didn't yet have the control to have new queens leave the hive proper. They'd stay on his skin. But he was already weak and chakra exhausted from the poison. "H-How—You c-can't—?"

He sounded younger. More vulnerable. _Damn it._

"Aburame Shikuro was my Captain."

The kid's eyes went wide, obviously recognizing the name. Damn Danzō. Pushing the seal to the teen's forehead, he was careful not to allow the now-limp body to touch him. As an extra precaution, he tacked a warning tag to the wall over the body. _Do not touch._

A scream tore through the tunnel and Genma barely had time to sidestep a blow from the Yamanaka, who threw himself with reckless abandon between Genma and the Aburame. He skidded and stopped, holding both hands up in the standard Yamanaka hand seal.

"He's just—"

There was a wild look in Red's eyes.

The mountain rumbled and bits of rock fell from the ceiling. Red looked up for a moment, seeming to think over his options. Genma's warning died in his throat when the kid swept down, grabbing his sealed comrade. To do something like that, with that particular hive… Aoba looked on from where he stood with the two younger Root agents. Both huddled behind him as the Yamanaka took two side steps into a small, empty alcove.

I_t's getting a little dicey up here, Alpha Team. The Hokage is on her way._

Genma looked to Hayate, nodding for the man to continue down the tunnel to scout ahead. If Danzō somehow won this engagement— then they had to get out with Miho and the defectors as soon as possible.

"She only cried a few times. When she died. Or someone else died. Never because of things I put in her head." Genma turned back to the Yamanaka. He wasn't touching any bare skin, his own hands covered in gloves. Partners, Genma realized. These two were partners that somehow survived the Root cullings or they were partnered after they survived the deaths of their peers. "She cried once when one of my cousin's traps backfired. Came pretty close to dying after that one."

He felt an almost eerie sense of calm.

"She's not here anymore."

And then, he felt everything.

The brush of fabric against his skin. The way the needle left his fingers. The roughness of the breath in his chest, the way it pulled and tugged. When the senbon tacked itself into the teen's right eye, Genma quickly flicked another toward his neck. Immediately, the body fell to the floor. If bare skin touched bare skin, then it was the Yamanaka's own fault.

Turning, he called to Aoba over his shoulder. "Get those kids up to the surface. Secure them with the others. Now."

"He wasn't lying."

Genma stopped, the dimness of the tunnel feeling more and more like a tomb. Without saying anything, he turned and followed after Hayate as the mountain shook.

This time, one of the walls cracked as he ran by it.

* * *

He always swore to himself, when he was younger, that he would always admit his wrongdoings. He never wanted to be the kind of man that believed himself incapable of mistakes. Shikaku and Inoichi kept him honest. His wife kept him honest. His children showed him what it was to be a good man. And then, he made a wrong decision. Then, another. The bad decisions kept cascading, one into another.

Now, as he stared up at the cavern's ceiling, he saw the future spread before him.

A future where Chōji never looked at him the same.

A future with his wife's tears.

A future where his daughter did not exist.

A future where she was gone.

A future where _it was his fault._

That wasn't just a vision. It was reality. That future was one he would live, if he survived this fight. If his daughter survived this, she would never return to him the same as she once was. Nothing would ever return to how it was. Chōji, Shikamaru, and Ino would assure that. Genma would guarantee it under pain of death. He had made a mistake.

And he would pay for it. Until he met Keisuke and Chisato in the next world. Even then, neither of them would let him have peace. Not for what he did.

Shaking, Chōza pushed himself to his side and then back up to stand. Inoichi was next to him in an instant.

"That's eight. That sick son of a bitch."

Across the space, Danzō pushed himself up once more. They'd killed the man in so many different ways. Eight times. And he kept rising from the dead, using Shisui's Izanagi. Just as Miho remembered. Chōza knew, _truly knew_, that he didn't have another kill in him. He was battered, bruised, low on chakra. It was Miho's Images that gave them the insight they needed to keep battling a seemingly unkillable monster.

Danzō, though, never said a word.

Not one word.

Not one word to justify, to argue.

Nothing.

The armor felt heavier than it ever had, weighing down on Chōza's shoulders. He only had one more option for another kill and he doubted that his teammates would back the plan. He cut his eyes over to Shikaku, who'd lost his Deer mask an hour ago. Shikaku was strategizing, keeping back and toward the portal of the save.

Chōza's dirty hand reached into the pocket inside his armor. The pill case was tempting.

His son had done the same— or he would have. If time had moved as it had then and there. If the story remained the same. If his daughter had never come to this world.

The Uchiha would've run, forsaking his friends and village.

Shikamaru would have recruited Chōji to the retrieval mission.

Chōji would have protected his friends.

Would have given his life to save them.

Chōza eyed Danzō's silent figure as the war hawk straightened.

Inoichi looked at him— and boy did he know that look!— and rested a hand on his forehead as Danzō continued to collect himself for another round. Another life. How many Uchiha bodies had he desecrated? How many ways were they dishonored? The Uchiha…Miho had cried for days when the massacre took them. Chōza grimaced, closing his eyes.

A pill.

Two pills.

That would be enough.

_No. Not an option._ Chōza might've flinched in his younger years at the barely bridled rage in Shikaku's voice. Inoichi's hand flexed, finger pressing into his hairline painfully. Chōza focused instead on the images from his daughter's mind. A hallway. Shikamaru crying. His son lifeless on the forest floor.

Danzō was powerful, and he was arrogant.

That would be his downfall. In this world. In that other world.

Always.

_Your family's research saved Chōji then and there, Shikaku._

_Doesn't mean it can save you too._ He could feel the heat of Shikaku's glare even as Inoichi's hand fell away. They were in formation before Danzō was steady on both feet. Chōza swung himself through a stalagmite, making sure the fragments fell thunderously into Danzō's body. The old man was gone when the smoke cleared. Then, everything was on _fire._

He felt his body being pulled out of the cavern, courtesy of Shikaku's shadows.

It would be another twenty minutes before the Hokage arrived. Another twenty minutes before the rest of the team emerged with the survivors, with any of the recovered prisoners. It would be another twenty minutes before he could know whether his daughter was alive or dead.

He'd threatened to withhold food from the village.

He'd acquired the support of the Daimyo to blackmail the village into compliance.

Miho could be dead. Tortured? Maimed?

_This was his fault._

Chōza slid and pushed chakra from his body fat into his muscles and bones and skin, feeling as his body shifted and stretched and grew. He stood as tall as the mountain. Outside of the cavern, he could breathe again. It felt less like being buried alive. It was more choking than the burning ruins of Konoha.

Miho was in there. Buried.

_"You are charged with treason against Konoha."_

He'd done nothing. He'd looked on while his own daughter was protected by another, by her teacher. His student had looked at him with such hatred, anger, and disappointment that Chōza was sure it would give him heartburn for decades. For the rest of his life. He never moved.

For a few moments, he'd felt ashamed of her. For her lying. For the secrets she kept. Secrets that could kill everyone.

The way he watched as she was guided out, never once looking back to him. He'd focused on the plans, plans to rectify the mistake he'd made. The decision he'd live with for the rest of his days. She never returned home that night. He did not go after her. Her mother had gone to Genma's apartment, alone. Making sure he had enough money to cover two Akimichi's diets. He should have gone to her. To explain. To apologize.

To make things right.

Her secrets could also _save everyone_.

Another mistake.

He never saw her again and the guilt was eating him alive.

And Chōji…

Chōji was…

_"You did what you thought was right."_ He'd told Chōji. Chōji— his sweet Chōji— who he'd found at the bottom of a pit in the Akimichi training field. Chōji, whose hands were bloodied and covered in the dust of the rocks he'd broken. _"You were trying to protect your sister."_

_"I didn't mean for this to happen."_ Chōji wouldn't look up at him, focusing instead on the bleeding cuts on his palms. _"I— I thought…Doesn't matter, does it? What difference does it make what I thought?"_ Chōji stood, back straightening as he moved toward an outcropping of rocks. He reared back his right arm and slammed his open palm into a boulder. The boulder did not budge. Chōza felt his heart constrict at the cold light in Chōji's eyes. At the tears. _"I thought you would listen to her. To me."_

Danzō appeared in a rain of wind bullets, moving so fast that Chōza simply couldn't keep pace.

_"I was wrong."_

It was only Inoichi's quick thinking that got him out of the way in time. The side of the mountain crumbled and Chōza stared at the bared arm of Shimura Danzō.

Eyes.

The Uchiha…Everyone who saw Miho's mind knew the atrocities she'd witnessed. They saw how the village had doomed an entire clan. How they were slaughtered. How two little girls were so afraid to even whisper about what they saw in their minds. How afraid they were for their own clans.

He knew why she never told the Hokage when he saw Itachi cut down the Uchiha.

And when Shisui fell. She feared that if the Hokage knew…

Miho always saw Chōji in Shisui's place.

She always saw the Akimichi cut down like the Uchiha.

She had been protecting everyone as best she could.

And he'd…

He'd fulfilled the Uchiha's threat. He used his power to manipulate the village into action. The repercussions would be far-reaching. He'd blackmailed the village. Not with the secrets that would bring them crashing down…but with the food that kept the village alive. If Akimichi supplies stopped arriving, the village would wither and die. The Daimyo would purchase the surplus and act as a purveyor, raising his political power and the indebtedness of the village.

At least, that was the veiled threat he'd made at the last Clan Head meeting.

Chōza popped open the pill case, throwing Shikaku a determined look over his shoulder.

One pill.

Two pills.

The same number Miho took before she was captured.

"You're a shame to Konoha."

Danzō leveled him an emotionless stare. For the first time since the man realized he was under attack, he spoke.

"As was your daughter."

Chōza threw himself forward even as the rage burned, like his fat turning to chakra. Shikaku's shadow guided him, moving him like a puppet toward Danzō's sword. The arm had regrown once more. Another eye, gone. A whole clan. Who knew how many more? Chōza could feel the chakra as it built at his shoulder blades, wings ready to rise from his back if he took the final pill. He would destroy Danzō, to the point that the bastard didn't stand a chance to take to the sky again.

Shifting left, the Akimichi Clan Head wrapped his arms around a large outcropping of rocks, straining to pull the massive boulder from the mountainside. Meanwhile Shikaku's shadows caught Danzō in a moment of arrogance, as he swung his sword in such a way that it caught the sunlight, creating a shadow that was just a bit too close.

_"—not here."_

Chōza stopped, the boulder held over his head. It was Hayate's voice. A cough pulling at his baritone. The man had to be close enough to the surface for the signal to reach the in-ear Chōza wore.

It seemed the world stopped.

And the wind sounded like his daughter's laughter.

"Chōza!"

_"I repeat: Akimichi Miho is not here. Alpha team is withdrawing with Beta team."_

He saw Shikaku's shadows quiver. He saw them break.

Danzō darted forward, drawing his sword back. Chōza could see the man's plan clear as day. The man was hardly a frontliner, no matter how powerful he thought he was. Dropping the boulder, Chōza dove to the side, sweeping his hand out to stop the attack on Shikaku. His friend withdrew, eyes narrowed as he considered a litany of other plans.

It was always the same. Opponents always went for the Nara first. Then the Yamanaka. Those two clans were seen as the largest threats on the battlefield. They never thought he was a threat. They never thought the Akimichi were forces to be reckoned with. Shimura should know better. He'd arrived to that battlefield during the Third War.

He'd seen what Chōza had done to that Iwa battalion.

With the same movement, Chōza positioned himself between his teammates and the Old War Hawk. "Where is my daughter, Lord Shimura?"

The man just stared, something like amusement in his eyes. Chōza adjusted his stance, waiting for Inoichi's voice in his head. "She is not loyal to Konoha."

"Neither are you." Chōza charged, moving far faster than it seemed Danzō was expecting. The man was on the defensive, taking a blow from Chōza's staff that buried him in the side of a cliff. To land the killing blow, Chōza spun, grinding the man into the dust of the crumbling mountainside. Breathing a bit more heavily, the Akimichi leader stepped back and looked toward where his teammates stood.

Another second chance among over a dozen second chances. Shimura Danzō stood at the top of the cliff, looking at Chōza from eye-level. His pulped remains disappeared, and the blood faded. Another eye closed, Chōza assumed. Who knew how many more there were? His daughter couldn't remember. The Images never showed _how long_ it took to kill Danzō.

He was starting to realize that he didn't care. Nine times. Ten. Twenty. Seeing the man torn to pieces was— silencing. It made the voices in his head go quiet.

Chōza didn't want justice. Justice was a noble idea. A noble idea and Chōza was a nobleman. But, no, Chōza wanted vengeance. He wanted to tear the man limb from limb for another few times.

The Uchiha…The village…The children…Orochimaru…Itachi…his daughter…

"This ends. Now."

Kunai peppered Chōza's skin and armor. The injuries would hurt later, but he could feel nothing except cold, almost feral, rage. The old man was growing weaker, but he wasn't dead yet. Chōza launched himself forward and Danzō evaded. There was a moment when Chōza wondered what Keisuke would've done if he were here to face this monster. He'd call up a hurricane. He'd summon that monstrous attack of his. Purple lightning and thunderclouds. In that moment of idle wondering as he turned, Chōza felt something strike his gut and the chakra that had built up in his shoulders fluttered away. He crashed to his knees, not quite sure what he was seeing.

Danzō didn't smile as he moved back. The wind died down— When had it become so strong and cutting?— and the chakra calmed. Looking down, the Akimichi Clan Head rested a hand over the gash in his armor, blood melting through his fingers. Chōza watched shadows impale the old warrior.

"Tough bastard." Shikaku commented blandly, shaking his head as Inoichi moved to Chōza's shrinking body. As he shrunk, the pain became worse. He coughed, warm bile rising to the back of his throat. Inoichi held up a glowing green hand, pushing down Chōza's palm with his free fingers. Shikaku cracked his fingers, rolling his neck as he positioned himself between the newly reappeared Danzō.

Inoichi huffed, shaking his head. "You're not taking the next pill. Give it a rest."

"We need to—"

"You think Shikaku doesn't have a plan? You really don't think when you're angry. How many times had this happened? Some things never change." Inoichi's tone shifted and Chōza watched the exchange between Shimura and Shikaku with half-lidded eyes. Shikaku was full-out for the first time in nearly fifteen years. A hand on the side of his face drew his attention back. "Stay conscious. You're gonna want to see what Shikaku has in store for—"

The side of a neighboring mountain exploded. A blonde figure stood in the rubble, in the ash cloud. Chōza could just barely make out blond hair.

"Nevermind. You're gonna want to see what she has in store for this bastard."

Inoichi was trying to stem the blood flow, but it wasn't enough. He wouldn't be able to remain conscious for much longer. The chakra exhaustion, weight loss, and blood loss were all…

_Keisuke. Chisato. I am so, so sorry. I am so sorry for what I've done._

_Miho, forgive me._

_I'm so sorry._

_Miho, I'm so sorry. Forgive me._

As the Fifth Hokage landed a killing blow, Chōza's eyes closed.

* * *

Miho opened her eyes.

As she came awake, she stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The large wooden beams were painted red with intricate patterns painted and etched into the grains. Greens and browns and blues. Hanging from the ceiling's apex was a chandelier of thinly-cut geodes. They caught the light and the wind, chiming and gleaming. Swallowing, Miho realized how dry her throat felt and, as she tried to lift a hand to her throat, how weak her body was. She fought to keep her eyes open, trying to focus on the glimmering lights overhead.

"I—I—" Clearing her throat, she let her arm fall onto the bed beside her. "Hello?"

"My Lady Miho?"

Turning her head to the left, she saw Shinrin lying on what looked to be a cane-slatted bed. More patterns decorated the wall behind the bear. The patterns were swirls and triangles, and large beams at intervals that appeared to be… "Where—?"

"Center Mountain, my Lady Miho." Shinrin moved carefully, rising up to her four paws as she climbed down from her bed and moved across the space to nuzzle at Miho's shoulder. "You were terribly injured. So very hurt, my Lady Miho. Grandfather was not sure he could save you. He did though. I gave you some of my chakra."

"Some of…" Miho's eyes shut. When they did, she could see it. A hand moving toward her forehead. Red hair, gold eyes. Her body jerked, spasming as if it struck. As she was falling. Her eyes opened again and she took a deep breath, focusing on the brush of fur against her shoulder, grounding her to the closest reality she had. "Chakra…"

"I'll go get Grandfather Ha. And my Lord Father."

Miho swallowed, watching as Shinrin bounded away.

In her chest, her heart stuttered a bit. It felt like indigestion, bubbling air rattling against her chest.

She was out. Free. Away from the nightmares of that place. Away from the press and presence of another mind within her own. She could remember things she couldn't before. Other worlds. Places where she was born, where she'd lived, fallen in love, and died. Families. She'd been a teacher. A storyteller. An anthropologist. An adventurer. A friend. A wife. A mother. A daughter, granddaughter. A person. A hundred times over a person. A soul with so many stories. And he tore them out. One by one.

He drew them out, coated them in his chakra, and pushed them back into her soul.

"—time for you to go. I know that."

"For my last wish, I want them all to be happy."

"— so much. So, so much."

Never the stories he wanted.

He would never get those stories.

Miho didn't realize she was gasping until an old silver bear hovered over her, pressing a gigantic paw to her chest. The weight made her break from the overlapping Images in her mind. "Breathe, cub. Breathe and focus on my paw." A paw almost as large as her entire body hovered over her face. He closed it and then opened it again. She breathed with the movement, looking franticly for Shinrin's presence. "Focus, cub."

She did as he said, only looking away from his paw when he removed it from her sight. The paw over her chest withdrew and then hovered there, glowing green. "I—"

"You are Okuda Miho. I am Healer Ha."

"N-Nice to meet you."

He huffed a rough growl, pushing gray fur out of his time-whitened eyes. "It is no small feat that you are alive, Okuda Miho. I labored for nearly four sun journeys to infuse the chakra of the Center Mountain into your system. It is your Okuda blood that sustained you." The old bear pulled his paw away and sat back on his haunches. Miho felt less tired, dizzy, and disoriented. "You look like them. Keisuke and Chisato. You carry their legacy well, I think. Time will tell."

Her parents… Miho sucked in a breath, sitting up immediately. Her head swam and her heart thundered in her chest. "I— I need to— I need to contact my-my team. My family. Konoha. I need them to know I'm—" The dizziness made her vision blackout for a moment. When she blinked back the darkness, Healer Ha was growling. His worn canines were bared. She could make out frustration in the set of his brow. "Please, I need to—"

"In time, cub. In time. Let us wait for the return of Lord Ki and Shinrin. Then, your message will be sent. Until then, rest. Rest." His paw pressed down upon her chest once more and Miho followed the pressure, laying back onto the cot. "Rest, Okuda Miho. You are safe now. You are safe."

Letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, Miho let her eyes fall shut once more. For the first time in weeks, fear didn't eat at her. She didn't feel the looming threat of a hand on her forehead. She didn't fear the click-clack of a cane on the tunnel floor. She didn't feel the ripples of past lives, ebbing at her mind.

_Genma-sensei, Koji, Tetsuya…Mom...Dad..._

_Chōji, Ino, Shikamaru…Lee..._

_Naruto._

_I'll be home soon._

* * *

**A/N:**

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, your favorites, and your follows! I am so glad I am still able to work on this story. The next chapter won't come until the end of December! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Keep hoping for more good days!


	21. Part I: Unreliable Narrator

She squinted as she stepped into the sunlight, lifting a hand to block it from her eyes. Her movement was uneven, aided by a staff that she clung to as she carefully navigated a great granite step at the doorway of the Healers Den. At her side, Shinrin fluttered, a worried purr building in her throat as Miho stepped down. One step. Two steps. Miho ignored the fretting and the way her legs shook as she moved. She ignored how her arms ached after only _this much_ movement.

The warmth of the sun was like…Love.

It felt a lot like love. Like kisses pressed to her cheeks and forehead. Like an embrace.

She closed her eyes and just let the sun rain down on her. Free.

She was free.

Her knee twinged with a half step forward. Healer Ha— _Grandfather_ Ha— was adamant that it would never be the same. It could be fortified and strengthened. It could be maneuvered around and she could learn to live with it. But it would always be _different_. Miho looked down at the bandages and the way bruises painted their way down her calf. She knew they trailed up her thigh.

Her clothes were new, light-weave fabric. They felt strange, different from the heavy material that the Akimichi wore. Her clothes from imprisonment were...unrecognizable. She was unrecognizable. Shinrin had growled as she'd thrown them into the fire. Only the red scarf remained, washed and pressed, wrapped loosely around her shoulders.

Shinrin lowered herself to her forepaws. "Hold to my fur, Lady Miho. I will guide you there."

Grasping Shinrin's soft shoulder fur, Miho ambled next to the bear across the central commons. Around the square, there were large wooden buildings with very similar designs to the healing space. Bears lingered about, talking and making and laughing. Carvings and paintings of bears and storms were on each and every surface, clouds and lightning and rain. It was careful, intricate work. It must've taken a millennia. There were mountains in the distance, dark purple-tinged clouds beyond them.

"Shinrin, is this our new cub-sister?"

A large bear with light brown fur approached. It was nearly as tall as Elder Torifu, falling back onto its haunches as it stopped. Its jowls loosely fell around its teeth as it grinned. Shinrin stayed on her quads, shooting the new bear a dirty look the likes of which Miho'd never seen from her friend before. Shinrin was the most polite being she knew. "Do not cause trouble, Tsuyoi."

Tsuyoi looked perfectly offended, huge jaw dropping. "Excuse me? Did I do anything?" He looked to Miho for verification and she minutely shook her head. The world swam and she gripped the staff a bit tighter. "You look like a balloon when all the air's out of it." Shinrin snarled. Tsuyoi raised his forepaws. "What? She does." His eyes tracked to the flaps of skin on her arms.

It was uncomfortable.

Her skin felt too loose. Her arms and legs felt too light. Her weights were gone. All of them. It threw everything off balance. The skin folded over her stomach felt itchy. Her body was in such disarray that she wondered how she could possibly gain all that weight back in a healthy way. She felt off-kilter, unsteady. Uneasy.

Elder Ayumu would help her to gain it back. Wouldn't she?

Miho's stomach turned. Was she… still part of the Akimichi Clan?

Would the Elders help her?

Her hand gripped tighter to Shinrin's fur and she felt a cold, wet sensation on her left hand.

"Stay alert, cub-sister." Tsuyoi was on his quads, backing up to jerk his large grizzly head toward a large building at the far end of the square. It was his nose that had touched her hand. "Lord Ki is waiting. I will walk over here. Just in case you pass out this direction." Miho forced a smile, carefully pushing herself forward between the two bears. "So…you're Lord Keisuke's daughter, huh?"

"Tsuyoi."

"Shinrin." The grizzly shot back. "Lord Keisuke was kind of a big deal around here. The Okuda had been lost for nearly a century when— boom!— there he was. He found the Hall of the Okuda, found the summoning scroll, and took up a long dead legacy. Turns out nearly all of the Okuda had been massacred during the Second Great Human Scuffle." Miho tried to focus on her feet, making sure her knee supported her weight before stepping again.

"The Hall of the Okuda? Massacred?"

"Tsuyoi, that's enough." Shinrin turned and growled through her teeth. Miho stopped. "She is just barely on her feet. It will take much time for her to recover. My Lady is not seeking out stories."

"What stories?" Miho tugged at Shinrin's fur while her companion ignored her, settling a firm stare at the grizzly before the other bear lowered his head and relented. "Shinrin—"

"You shall learn of them one day, my Lady Miho. Just…not today."

Everything in her voice asked Miho to let it go, to trust her. After a moment, Miho nodded and set back into the rhythm of walking toward the Head House.

The House of the Okuda…A massacre… Miho felt her stomach turn.

Lord Ki was waiting at the far end of the central commons, near a building that looked more like a long house with carvings of Bears along the walls and wooden columns of Bears touching the sky. The ceiling was unlike anything Miho had ever seen before. Light blues and whites faded into blacks and greys as pieces of crystal flecked the wood like miniature skylights, raining down freckles of light over the planked floors. Miho remembered this place, like it was a dream.

A dream after a nightmare.

"You are looking much better, Okuda Miho."

Miho bowed her head, looking over to where Grandfather Ha irately scratched at his neck with his long gnarled claws. The old healer reminded her of someone from a past life. One of the rippling echoes. She wasn't sure which life it was, but the man wore blue and was an abrupt sort of doctor. "Sending her back to the humans in this state…"

"Healer Ha, you said she was well enough to go." Lord Ki sighed, looking very put-upon. "She will return in three moons. That should be sufficient. Shinrin will monitor her healing every so often. She must be allowed to return to her village."

"I can monitor her myself." Grandfather Ha sniffed, raising his hackles. "I am not so old to be put in the den and told to stay."

Studiously ignoring the old bear, Lord Ki moved forward. His robes were a beautiful sort of teal that Miho wondered if he meant to coordinate with the red on the walls. When Lord Ki settled down onto his haunches in front of her, Miho lifted her head and met his eyes. She could tell he had so much more he wanted to know and say. Miho knew that there was so much she needed to learn and understand. It was going to be a long path, a life journey that she'd always be treading.

_"To be of Center Mountain is to be a Bear. Your chakra is fused with the Center Mountain now. You must learn to control it, or it will destroy you."_ Miho had listened as Lord Ki explained. He had gestured toward a carving on the wall of the Healers Den. Storm clouds gathered around the mountain in the image._ "It was the only way to save you."_

Her chakra felt like her body— strange, off. Like it was reflecting how she felt. Fractured. Not quite whole. A rattling kaleidoscope. Her body was a husk of what it once was. Her strength, her weight, everything she'd worked so hard to achieve was drawn away. Her chakra, too, felt like uneasiness given energy, anxiety, stuck to the inside of her gut. Like she was teetering, uneven. It felt _different._

Lord Ki nodded and she looked over to see Tsuyoi handing over what looked to be a vest. The neck was— Miho felt her eyes widen even as her mind denied that it was bear skin. Because that wouldn't make sense.

The Great Bear snorted a laugh. "Calm, cub. Calm. This is not somebear's skin."

Tsuyoi chuckled. "It's fur. Lord Ki's, to be exact. The fabric is cloud weave— a signature of Center Mountain." Miho looked at the fabric each bear wore. "It is much like your Akimichi clothing, infused with chakra to expand and contract. This fabric is more durable." When she looked at the grizzly, his big shoulders shrugged. "I am the clan designer."

"Tailor."

"_Whatever_."

She held it up to look at the back, glancing to Tsuyoi for further explanation. Instead, it was Shinrin who answered her unspoken question. "It is the Okuda symbol. And the Akimichi symbol. Keisuke and Chisato." Over the etched bear, the Akimichi symbol cut through its center. Behind the bear, a lightning bolt. A perfect mix of the two.

Miho pulled the brown vest over her right arm and then folded in her left, feeling the fur brush against her neck. It felt heavy, like leather. Her scarf pulled from her shoulders and settled around her neck. Way too heavy. Her shoulders caved forward. She fought to stay upright.

"You will return in three moons for training."

"Yes, Lord Ki."

The Great Bear held out a scroll. "For your Hokage." He nodded and stepped back. "No matter what you face there, remember that you are valued here. You are part of the Bear Clan now. You are a Bear. All things you face are faced with power and strength and clan. Do not forget that."

"And tell your human healers to mind your knee."

"My Lady Miho, call if you need me." Shinrin called out as Miho felt a pull in her stomach and the mist-like rush at her feet.

The world tilted and then—

She was nearly bowled over, but the attacker disappeared as she blinked. Her knees weakened underneath her, and she went down. It was only the forgiveness of the sand that kept her from crying out from the strike of her knee on the ground. The staff was gone. Miho's eyes adjusted to the dimness over the training field, clouds roiling overhead as she looked up toward the sky. She pulled in a deep breath, smelling the familiar aromas that lingered around the Akimichi compound.

Why did she feel so weak? Weaker than before?

"Miho?"

Lowering her stare from the sky overhead, Miho met Elder Torifu's wide eyes. His still-full cheeks seemed gaunt and his eyes far more aged than she remembered. He was pale.

He took a couple cautious steps forward, a questioning tilt to his brows. "Miho?"

Miho felt tears in her eyes, a break seeming to thrum somewhere in her chest. She wondered how he could recognize her. She looked so different now, like a scarecrow when she was once—

Elder Torifu threw aside his bō and sakazuki, hurrying forward. His footsteps shook the ground as he moved. As old as he was, he could still move so easily, so quickly. If wondered if she would ever make it to his age. She doubted it. Two large, meaty hands came to either side of her face.

"Little Miho…We thought— We thought you were lost."

His great head fell onto her shoulder and Miho wondered if he saw her falter under his weight. The old man immediately withdrew, hands pulling away as he looked her over. Something in his face seemed to collapse as he seemed to understand. His hands moved from her face to her too-narrow shoulders. She could feel the brush of fur on her cheeks.

"What did he do to you?"

She wasn't sure who he meant. Danzō? Fu? Miho didn't answer. Elder Torifu looked away and she followed his eyes, turning to see another person approaching from the weapons house.

Her Uncle Zosui stopped, dropping the chest plates he'd been carrying. "Miho!"

She was in Elder Torifu's arms in the next moment. The world was spinning, and she fought the disorientation. It made her breath come in harsh spurts. He turned to Uncle Zosui. "I want two guards at the hospital in ten minutes. Then, bring them to the hospital as well. Close your eyes, Little Miho."

Miho did as she was told, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt the world moving, faster and faster and faster until she felt the shift-click of Elder Torifu's sandals on gravel. Her eyes opened just as he strode through the hospital doors. She noticed a distinct limp in his movement. Worried, she looked up at his stern face. "Master Torifu, were you—"

"Alert the Hokage. Now."

"What—" Miho turned to see a woman rounding the corner. Her stomach turned a bit, recognizing the short haircut and kind eyes. Shizune. Comprehension dawned on the woman's face and she silently waved them toward the third room on the hallway. "Aiko, Rei, come with me."

Elder Torifu gingerly set her on the bed, stepping back as much as he could with his mass at the bedside. Shizune filled the gap. There were monitors and a counter off to the side, sterile bandages and instruments in storage. The air felt too cold, too still.

"Akimichi Miho, I presume?"

Miho gave a stunted nod, automatically holding out her arm for the blood pressure cuff. Another medic entered the room a moment later, eyes going wide at the markings on Miho's cheeks and the towering Akimichi Elder in the corner. The brown-haired girl moved forward with a clipboard.

"Her blood pressure is 70 over 50. Miho, do you mind if I call you that?"

Miho nodded.

"Have you been experiencing any symptoms? Dizziness? Shortness of breath? Blurred vision?"

"I was really confused for a while. Now, I'm just dizzy and…a little nauseous." She'd been nauseous since she woke up on Center Mountain. Miho gestured toward her bandaged-wrapped knee. Shizune glanced at it and then curiously prodded at the bruising as she leaned down to get a better look. She carefully began to unwrap the bandages. "Healer Ha said to mind my knee."

"Healer Ha?"

"Elder of the Bear Clan. That's…where I've been." Shizune raised her eyes to Miho's before nodding. Miho suspected it was a placating sort of acceptance rather than anything else. "I was there…for… I…I don't know how long I was there. They sent a scroll to the Hokage."

Shizune hummed, turning to the young nurse who was taking notes on the clipboard. "What was her weight prior to the abduction?" Miho jolted. The feeling of her skin folded underneath the hem of her pants made her squirm. The nurse grimaced and showed Shizune rather that stating it aloud.

Miho knew. She knew her weight before she'd be taken. Because she'd kept meticulous track of her weight since she was just a little girl. 65.2 kg. It took so long to get there and to remain steady at that weight. It took so long to build up her muscle mass. Years. It took everything she had to build up her weight. Now... she shuddered.

"C-Can you get Genma-sensei?" She turned to Elder Torifu, whose face had become hard. Something about his expression made Miho recoil. Or perhaps that was the skin of her knee feeling cool air.

Miho watched as he rolled his shoulders, eyes finally settling on her face once more.

"How long has it been, Elder Torifu?"

"It's been a month and a half."

"A month and…" Miho trailed off, flinching when Shizune prodded at the purple and yellow skin over her kneecap. The woman quietly apologized, raising a green hand to the injury. When her brows furrowed, Miho knew Healer Ha was right. Her knee was the kind of injury she would always have. And that was fine. It was fine by her. She would overcome it. She would still accomplish her goals even with a bum knee.

Genma-sensei, Aoba-sensei and Gai-sensei would help her. Right?

Her weight too. She could eat more. She could gain it back. Elder Ayumu would help her. Her team would help her. She'd get there eventually. It would all be okay.

It would all be- Miho felt sick.

"Can— Can you go get Genma-sensei?"

Elder Torifu didn't acknowledge her question, instead looking to Shizune as she continued her check of Miho's vitals. Medics started to flurry into the room, bringing in a bag of fluids and a cart for some kind of monitor. Miho tried not to jump when one of the medics began to help her out of the vest.

"N-No. I— I don't—"

Shizune put a hand on that medic's shoulder. Her hand lost its green tint. The unnamed medic stepped back, allowing the older woman to get closer. "I'm sorry, Miho. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Shizune. I am the student of Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. I am going to be doing a series of small tests, so that we can help you, but I need you to follow my directions, okay? And I need you to answer my questions. This will help us figure out how best to treat you." Miho nodded. "Do you know where you are?"

"Konoha."

Miho watched as the woman nodded. Her hand rose and she held up one finger. "Follow my finger. Do you know your age?"

"Thirteen."

"Birthday?"

"October 10th." Miho felt a thrill of fear. Naruto. She looked away from the movement of the woman's hand and toward the Elder who was watching the exchange like a hawk. "Where's Naruto? Is he okay? Is he safe?"

Had she asked about her brother yet? Miho's stomach turned. She hadn't asked about Chōji yet. How could she— "And Chōji? Is Chōji—"

Shizune hesitated and Miho felt her shoulders tense. Elder Torifu held her stare, looking far older than she remembered him. His steely eyes cut toward the door and Miho followed his attention. The breath felt as if it were knocked out of her when Senju Tsunade stormed into the room.

The woman was everything Miho thought she would be. She had an undeniably strong presence. Like a force of nature. It actually reminded Miho of Gai-sensei, that strange sense of power he radiated when he was being serious. Or her mother in her last life. A shorter woman with fierce eyes and even fiercer convictions. The Hokage seemed angry as she stepped up to stand before Miho with her hands propped on her hips.

"You know who I am?" Miho nodded. "Yeah, figured you did."

"Lady Hokage."

"So, you're the troublemaker that everyone's been talking about who sends bears as messengers." Miho's mouth opened and she snapped it shut again when the woman held up a finger. On instinct, Miho followed the movements. After a moment, Tsunade reached forward and pressed her fingers to Miho's throat, feeling for her glands. "I want a report. Immediately."

Shizune stepped back, letting her master take the lead.

"Elder Torifu, the room. Now."

After Tsunade finished pressing Miho's too-thin neck, she turned to the Akimichi Elder, who hadn't moved at the order. Heaving a breath, his head shook. "I have two guards en route."

Miho's mouth opened, but she was cut off. "You think I won't have guards on her?"

"Then she'll be doubly protected."

The Fifth Hokage growled under her breath, but waved away the statement. "Fine, fine. But I need the room. You wanna hulk around out in the waiting room and put sentries on her room—whenever she gets it—you do that." Elder Torifu nodded and Miho jolted when he started to leave.

"Elder—"

He moved toward her, settling his gigantic hand on her head. He was obviously mindful of the weight this time. He was treating her like she was made of glass. She looked up at him from under the fringe of her hair. "I knew you were a strong one, Little Miho. Don't worry, sweet bun. It will all work out fine. We will meet again when they put you in a room of your own." He bowed politely to the Hokage and ducked out.

As soon as he was gone, the door was shut by Shizune. Miho hesitated, looking to the Hokage for something. Some kind of orientation. Some kind of information. Her mind whirled through the possibilities. Was Sasuke already gone? Was Naruto already hurt? Chōji? Shikamaru? Neji and the others? How long had it been before— _then_ and _there_? Did any of that matter when her father likely _hated_ her? Miho shuddered.

Her chest felt numb. Her arms felt numb. Everything was—

A hand gripping her shoulder made her realize how badly she was shivering. "Breathe with me, Akimichi." Miho watched the Hokage lift her hand with an inhale and lower her hand with an exhale. Once, twice, three times. "Okay. Steady?" Miho nodded, looking up at the Hokage's face. Tsunade was grimacing, face pinched.

"Your teacher is deployed on a mission. He's not due to return for another couple days."

Miho nodded, unconsciously gripping the vest.

"No one is aware of the smartass Bear messenger that destroyed a perfectly good bottle of sake." Miho didn't know what to say. Lord Ki only told her that the Hokage was aware, nothing more. Despite your plan and all efforts to the contrary, the Third Hokage was killed in the invasion."

Miho felt a pain like indigestion sear her throat and chest. It felt as if she'd be punched in the stomach. She'd seen him be carried away by ANBU. She'd seen him _rescued_. After all of that…How…?

"He is not sealed, as you saw. He died a shinobi's death, defending his village. Defending the next generation. Protecting the Academy with his last breath. Orochimaru did enough damage to do the Third Hokage in during their battle. He didn't have enough in him for a second go."

Miho struggled to steady herself, forcing back the tears. It made her head hurt.

_"A person often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."_

After all that, Sarutobi Hiruzen died anyway.

Miho wondered if she should feel something. Anything. Mourning? Loss? Hurt?

"I want a report. Now. Then, I will update you on the current situation. Can you describe what happened?"

Miho shakily nodded, fingers aching as she held to her vest. Her nail-beds were still sore. "I…I was with my teammate."

"Yes, I know about your abduction. You can start after that."

"I was held in a cell by Lord Danzō. He had one of his operatives, Yamanaka Fū, Mind Walk. To find my knowledge. He…He never got what he was after. Ino— Yamanaka Ino— put a bunch of traps in my head. She's the…She's the reason Root didn't get any information. He kept trying. I almost died…a few times. He kept bringing me back."

Tsunade's eyes flashed and she raised a hand to place on her head. Miho instinctively flinched back, trying to get both legs under her so she could scramble back quicker. She'd never been able to bend her knees at that angle before. That dull realization was hampered when her legs weren't strong enough to push her back.

The Hokage froze. Miho saw a different hand and hair that was more reddish in tone.

And eyes that were more like molten gold.

Gold eyes. Not brown.

Gold eyes.

Miho stopped after a moment as the hand fell away. Cautiously, Lady Tsunade held up both hands in a placation. Maybe she should've had better control. Maybe. She was a kunoichi after all. But Miho's instincts were burning. "S-Sorry, Lady Hokage. I…"

"Post-traumatic stress is normal, Akimichi." The blonde held out a hand, palm up. "I'm gonna do a chakra-based technique that will allow me to access your chakra system."

"He damaged it. Fū did. Healer Ha said he burned my coils with his... reckless healing attempts." She could see Lady Tsunade's jaw clench. "Healer Ha did a chakra infusion. With chakra from Center Mountain. It's…complicated." Slowly, with a shaking hand, she reached into the vest pocket and withdrew a small scroll. "This was sent from the Bear Boss of Center Mountain, Lady Hokage."

The woman's lip curled a bit, but she still took the scroll, popping the seal before unfurling it to read the contents. As her brown eyes scanned, her expression became more and more incredulous until she finally rolled the scroll back up. With a put-upon sigh, she handed the scroll to her student. "Seems Healer Ha wants a follow-up appointment in three months. Fine." Her hand went back to where it was, slightly outstretched and palm up. "If you take my hand, I can do a chakra system assessment."

Miho released the vest and reached out to hold the Hokage's hand. The woman's eyes closed.

After a moment, the woman stepped away and took the proffered clipboard from Shizune. "Yeah, that bastard definitely screwed you up." Miho shivered at the scritch-scratch of the pen on paper. "I'm gonna treat you like a soldier, Akimichi Miho. No bullshit."

Miho nodded.

"Danzō is no longer a problem. Killed him myself. A lot of credit for his removal as a threat was thanks to the Ino-Shika-Cho team." Miho didn't flinch, even as a thrill of anxious energy thrummed in her chest. "There are currently twenty-seven former Root members in rehabilitation."

Swallowing, Miho nodded. Twenty-seven from over a hundred.

The Hokage stopped and swallowed, suddenly looking very tired and worn. Miho couldn't imagine the pressure the woman was under. Going from life lived at her own leisure to running a battle-scarred village. It must've been exhausting.

"Uchiha Sasuke was taken yesterday."

A thrill of absolute and utter terror flushed through Miho.

"The boy did not leave of his own volition, a major change from the Knowledge in your head. He just committed to an alternate plan. One that would benefit him in the long run." The Hokage took a deep breath. "Still, despite a more elite team sent to retrieve him, Naruto followed behind. Without permission. With him, so went Team Ten— mostly to keep the little idiot alive—on my orders." Miho, again, couldn't feel her hands. "Reports indicate that, while there are injuries, the retrieval mission was a success."

A success.

The retrieval mission was a success.

The Third Hokage was dead.

"Did— Did he—"

Blood. A waterfall.

A hole in Naruto's chest.

Miho pressed her hands into her too narrow thighs.

"Did—"

The Hokage's head shook. "Sasuke did not harm Naruto."

Miho let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "And…Team— Team Ten?"

"Aside from your brother popping two of his pills, the Nara breaking a finger, and Yamanaka getting a concussion, they're alive and well. That's not to mention that we apparently have captured a very annoying four-eyed little prick."

They captured Kabuto.

_They captured Kabuto._

Miho let out a breathy laugh. It was a bit frantic. Like all the worry was cascading out through her weak little giggles. A small difference, but it could have such huge ripple effects. No Kabuto meant no zombies in the war. She could think about the ramifications later, but— When she looked to the Hokage again, her laughter fell away. Her mind caught up with the Hokage's words. Sasuke was taken. Abducted. By—

"Wait. Who-Who wanted Sasuke?"

"Seems my former teammate has many pathways back to life."

_The Cursed Seal? _How did it even work?

A sick feeling of apprehension fell like a brick onto Miho's gut. Her hands shook as she threaded her fingers together. They felt cold and clammy against the stale hospital air. The Fifth watched her, waiting. Orochimaru was still alive. The Third was dead and Orochimaru was still alive. Danzō was dead but Sasuke was loyal to Konoha. Or was he? Miho shivered. Something didn't feel right.

"There's something else…isn't there?"

Shizune stopped preparing whatever she was preparing on the counter. Her shoulders tensed. The Hokage gathered herself up, pulling in a deep breath.

"Your teammate, Koji, is dead."

"Wh—What?"

"He succumbed to his injuries shortly after reporting your abduction to your teacher."

"What?"

The world wasn't spinning. Nothing moved. Nothing really even existed.

Miho couldn't breathe.

"Koji— What?"

_Koji, his mouth opened, trying to talk, trying to warn her, but no sound came out. Blood on his lips and a blade in his stomach._

Tsunade's face remained placid. Miho could see the mask beginning to fracture. Everything was fracturing. The world was starting to spin again. Too fast. "Breathe, Miho. Breathe."

Flinching back at the woman's hands, Miho looked to the door and threw herself off the bed. Her weakened legs struck the linoleum and she tried to catch her weight. It felt like she was floating for some reason as her knee buckled under the weight. Too little weight, but still she fell.

There was a crash somewhere, but Miho couldn't quite—

"I have to— Where's— Where's Tetsuya? Genma-sensei? Where's my—Where's my team? I…I can't be here."

"Lady Tsunade!"

Miho pushed against whatever was holding her, trying to get to the door. Beyond it, she could get to Tetsuya. She could find out what happened. She could track down Genma-sensei. She could_ do something_. She'd been inside for too long. And the walls were crumbling. The walls were crumbling, and she was being buried alive. Her nails were just beginning to grow back.

Koji was— She turned and looked up at the force keeping her from the door. "P-Please…"

The Hokage frowned, pressing a hand to the side of Miho's head. "Listen to me. Listen!" Miho stilled at the command, just barely able to see the woman through the blur of tears. "I'm going to knock you out. Your body can't sustain this."

"No— No! I can't just—I have to—"

Miho felt buzzing in her muscles. She fought it. She kept fighting as it ebbed and flowed, bigger and stronger waves crashing on her. She needed to get to them. Tsunade grimaced. "Stop fighting it, Akimichi."

"No, I…"

Her arms wouldn't move. Her chest felt heavy, tight. Why couldn't she…

"Just_ sleep,_ kid."

* * *

Genma was exhausted. That exhaustion felt good.

It was a grueling mission. The target was a slimy son of a bitch, running a human trafficking ring on the shores of Wave Country. Even if the bastard was a deplorable human being, he was also cautious. He had six different missing-nin as guards. Genma slaughtered them all. Made them pin-cushions. And that human-selling bastard? Well, Genma let the guy suffer, gurgling around a poisonous needle in his throat.

A justified exhaustion after a successful mission. His mission debrief wouldn't be until the following morning. Once upon a time, Genma may've gone to one of the seedier establishments in Konoha, found a nameless person, and let off some steam. As it was, Genma pulled on civvie clothes after a quick shower and headed to the hospital.

Naruto had been a relatively steady presence despite the end of his "mission." Genma half-expected to find the blond kid curled up on the end of the bed again. Just like when he returned from the failed Miho retrieval mission.

The room was empty, save for Tetsuya and some flowers at his bedside.

Daises.

The flowers were wilting a bit. Not fresh.

Something like fear lurched in Genma's stomach. Worry.

The Yamanaka was a creature of habit. Angry, rage-filled habit, but habit nonetheless. She trained, performed her duties with care, and held others responsible. She was vicious and a manipulator. She was absolutely sincere. And she came to deliver flowers to her best friend's coma-imprisoned teammate each Sunday. Like clockwork.

It was Monday.

Something was wrong.

Genma set his overnight bag on the floor by the window, pulled it open, and jumped out.

It shouldn't have sent him into a panic. He was war-hardened, right? He was steady from decades of killing. He'd lost comrades in the heat of battle, blood on his face and hands. He arrived to the Hokage's office a few moments later, not quite sure why he was there. This wasn't appropriate. It definitely wasn't following chain-of-command. He stopped, choking down his urge to—

"Get in here, Shiranui, unless you're here to see Shikaku for some stupid reason."

Genma jolted, just barely recognizing the Jōnin Commander, who was staring him down from the other end of the hallway. The door to the Hokage's office swung open and Tsunade stepped out.

"A low priority assassination doesn't merit an immediate debrief. So…why the hell are you here?" Genma pulled himself up, glancing to Shikaku's still-observing form at the end of the hall. The Hokage rolled her eyes and jerked her head toward the office. "You get in here, too, Shikaku. This is part of your mess anyway."

Confused, Genma stepped into the office. "Lady Hokage, I didn't come because of the mission— which was a success by the way and the bastard is dead." Tsunade raised her brows as she walked back to her desk. Commander Nara came to stand by his side, hands tucked into his pockets. "I— Was Team Ten deployed?"

The woman seemed to deflate a bit, rolling her shoulders in a manner that was eerily reminiscent of Miho. Genma barely withheld a shudder, hardening his resolve. Team Ten was always in danger. That's why he called them "Team Annoying," after all. They'd been kept to the village since Miho was abducted, to protect their knowledge. After recent events, they were no longer guarded by ANBU. As chūnin, and with the village still recovering, it was only a matter of time before they were sent on missions— their knowledge of the future notwithstanding.

"Uchiha Sasuke was abducted the night after you were deployed on your assassination mission to Wave."

Genma— for a moment— forgot to breathe.

"Orochimaru is dead."

"Wrong tense." Shikaku sighed. Genma turned to see the man palming his forehead. "Orochimaru was dead. Apparently, he had some kind of failsafe in place. No one is quite sure how he did it. The man is a cockroach. The Uchiha— surprisingly— chose not to take his offer."

He shifted his weight from his right leg to his left, reaching up to take the senbon from his lips.

"Naruto chased them, didn't he?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Some things remain consistent. Team Ten was sent to retrieve him. They've been on Naruto-guard-duty whenever Jiraiya is unavailable." Genma had to bit down on the senbon to stop himself from pointing out the difference in fire power there. "We sent a team to retrieve Sasuke. Team Ten encountered half of the Sound hooligans in Akimichi's visions— the flute wielder and the one with the bones. The other two were eliminated by the Retrieval Team, including Aoba, Kakashi, and Hayate. They are returning now and should arrive within the next five hours."

"Did— Did the Suna team make an appearance this time?"

The woman's eyes became shrewd and she leaned back in her seat. "We certainly would not want to rob the future Kazekage a moment to bond with our shinobi."

Whoever thought Tsunade wasn't a good politician was out of their damn mind.

Feeling a tad more settled, Genma nodded and then bowed. "I apologize if I was out of line, Lady Hokage."

"You have the Will of Fire, Genma."

His head jerked up and he stared at the woman with a feeling of incredulousness. The last time he'd heard that, it was from the Fourth. Just a few weeks before he died. He'd been mourning the loss of a teammate then, too. His Captain.

Something crossed the woman's face and she looked up. "Secure the room."

Genma felt the room become secured. His ANBU colleagues set the perimeter and waited. Anxiety tore through his stomach and settled up at his heart. This was never a good sign. He felt Shikaku shift.

"Akimichi Miho has returned."

His ears began to ring.

"She—"

"Your student returned two days ago. She was and is severely malnourished. Her knee is damaged. It is functional, but it will require conditioning to get her back into working order. Her chakra is…a situation I've never encountered. At this time, she is in a medically-induced coma."

Genma wanted to ask the Hokage to slow down. His hands shook so much that he dropped the senbon he'd been rolling between his thumb and forefinger. When he heard the needle drop, Genma pulled the shroud of his ANBU training around him.

He wasn't Shiranui Genma. He was Sparrow.

"Where is she, Lady Hokage?"

"Hospital. Room 305."

That room was next to Tetsuya's. He hadn't sensed her. Genma nodded, acceptance of the new situation sliding into place. The Hokage eyed him.

"She is under Akimichi guard as well as ANBU." His mouth opened. "Tiger and Boar. She's in good hands."

Good hands had hurt her before.

Shikaku stepped forward. "Chōza and Aoki have not left her side since she returned. They are there now."

Chakra suppression seals and privacy seals on the room. Genma nodded, pushing down the irritation that Chōza was at her bedside. _It was his fault._ As a good ANBU, Genma tamped out the emotion and straightened. He gritted his teeth.

"Permission to visit my student, Lady Hokage?"

"Permission granted." Her eyes took on a kind, if conflicted, light. "I have already informed her of Koji's death."

The shroud fell away and Genma struggled to keep a firm handle on his emotions. Anger and something very, very close to hatred swept through him. With the ease of a practiced shinobi, Genma leant forward and grabbed the senbon from the floor, replacing it into his holster. It wasn't anyone's responsibility but his to tell Miho and Tetsuya about Koji.

Hokage or not…

She had no right.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage. If that will be all?"

"When we awaken her, I will take her full report. We know a baseline of what happened, but nothing more than that." The Hokage nodded to Shikaku, who turned on his heel to leave the room. Genma waited to be dismissed, fisting his hands in his pockets as he waited. The room was still secured. Slowly, Tsunade rose up from her seat and moved to a set of filing cabinets positioned under the portraits of the former Hokages.

Namikaze Minato stared down at him. Genma felt that— more than ever— if Minato had survived, none of these nightmares would have ever happened. He would have never let this happen to Keisuke's daughter. He would have protected his son. He would've done so many things different.. He would've been trustworthy. He would've been _so much better._

"I'm taking you back off ANBU rotation."

"Kakashi's—"

Tsunade scoffed, shaking her head. "Hatake is staying in because someone will be joining him soon. And…I think it's about time we woke your boy up, don't you think?"

"Woke— Hold up. You kept him under on purpose?"

It took everything Genma had within him, every ounce of self-control, to keep his hand from throwing needles at her smug expression. The old woman actually shrugged, as if it weren't a big deal.

"Utatane Tetsuya's brain needed the time to heal. If he was ever to move again, he needed to remain still. It was medically-induced, yes, but it was purposeful. I do no harm to my patients, Shiranui, despite the villain you want me to be." She held his gaze for a long moment. "His brain was swelled in such a way that anything less than this coma would've been a death sentence. I didn't want you to lose all of your students, Shiranui."

She withdrew a folder from the top drawer and held it out to him.

"Take it. I think you'll find it…Enlightening."

Genma opened the folder and gaped. "This is—"

"Namikaze Minato was a clever bastard. So smart that you have to be a genius to figure out his plans. Everything seemed to be so intuitive to him. You know that." Genma nodded, watching as she walked back to the windows, turning her back to him. It was both a power move and a show of trust. Genma felt his anger, rage, and hatred abating a bit. Enough that he could breathe through the shock of what he held. "Okuda Keisuke trusted Namikaze Minato. Looks like this generation carries on that legacy."

In his hands was a contract of allegiance, a document that clans would sign when joining the village. Each of the clans had one, noble or otherwise. It was a binding legal agreement that ensured that a ninja clan remained contractually loyal to the village. On it was the Okuda seal.

If Okuda Keisuke had established a contract of allegiance, then that meant…he was going to reestablish the Okuda in Konoha.

"She asked for you first." The Hokage turned to him. "Go on to your students, Shiranui. For the moment, everything else can wait."

* * *

"Genma."

Slipping the senbon from his lips, he stared at his former teacher, who stood on the other side of his student's bed. His hulking form seemed too big for the room, suffocating. His attention tracked down from Chōza's grimace to Aiko, who approached with cautious care. Her arms swung wide and Genma was never one to turn her down, no matter her husband's mistakes.

"Genma, dear, I am so glad you've returned. Miho would be so happy to see you." She released him, obviously very familiar with the stiff set of his shoulders under his relaxed slouch. She'd known him since he was a kid. "Chōza, honey, let's go get something to eat and let Genma be with her for a while."

Aiko started toward the door, leaving Genma facing down his sensei.

After a long moment— _it's_ your _fault_— Genma looked down.

She was alive.

Thin, with extra skin and a gaunt face, but alive. A quarter the size she'd once been.

But she was alive.

Over the gown, a brown vest lay across her shoulders, brown-golden fur lining the neck.

"No one is certain how she got it."

Genma's eye flicked up to Chōza's face. For the first time, he saw the exhaustion there. Not just physical tiredness, but the kind of soul-deep exhaustion that only came with guilt. Guilt had eaten away at his teacher, buried down deep. Genma wasn't sure that his teacher would ever be free from that guilt.

He plopped down into the chair at her bedside, throwing both arms behind his head. "I'm sure she'll have quite the story when she wakes up."

Swallowing down _everything_ he wanted to say to the man, Genma instead focused on the relief of being in the same room as his student. She was safe. She was safe and he thought she'd been dead. She was there— thinner, sure, but _alive_. Tetsuya was in the next room. He was to be awakened soon.

"Genma, I—I know that I can't…"

"Not now, Chōza. I really don't want to hear it right now."

She was safe. Tetsuya was safe.

For the moment, that was enough.

* * *

The speckled ceiling overhead was a dull gray-white, with some bright yellow pouring in through the doorway and the window. Such brilliant light through the window. Everything seemed distant, foreign. The feel of the sheets on her palms, on her fingertips. Her palms felt wet.

A steady dripping sound was to her right and there was a tightness to her hand. Her throat felt tight when she swallowed. She was sure she'd been drowning. She was sure that she'd been starved for air. She was sure she'd been hanging upside down, bound and gagged and bleeding and— She was sure she'd been buried alive.

A man stood over her bed on one side. He was familiar. She didn't pay much attention. A woman on the other.

How long had she been asleep?

Minutes? Hours? Days?

Her muscles were stiff.

What happened?

She'd been here before, hadn't she? Everything felt so familiar.

_"You're well-trained and well-fortified. I will give my cousin her due praise."_

She lurched up, blindly fighting at a hand that forced her back down. Fū again. How many times was he going to make her live this nightmare? How many times would— "Akimichi! Akimichi! MIHO!" She locked her attention on the person holding her down and focused on their eyes. Tsunade. The Hokage.

It was another trick.

Miho relaxed into the bed again, gasping in a breath.

"Ino's-Ino's brilliant…You won't get past her. Keep trying. Keep tryin' and you'll keep losing. Like always."

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. She'd never seen that expression on Fū's face before. "You're not in captivity, Miho."

Her attention tracked over to Genma-sensei, whose eyes were sad and hurt. She wondered where Tetsuya was. He always factored into these dreams somehow. Dead. Alive. Tortured.

So did Naruto. And Chōji, Shikamaru, and Ino. And Lee. Everyone. Even family from other lives, once he learned of them. Her mother, father, sisters, brothers. Friends. Eventually, Fū would use their avatars to try again.

And again. And again.

"A puppet. That's what you are." She closed her eyes and sighed. That tiredness seemed to tug her heart into the mattress. "Another adventure, hey? Maybe Ino will have us in some sort of period piece this time?"

She wasn't sure how much more she could take.

But she could take it.

She could take it.

A gentle hand fell onto her head. "I always knew your endurance would save you in the end, Miho."

She opened her eyes, looking up at Genma-sensei. She'd seen him so many times in her mind, as the red-headed nightmare tore it apart and put it back together again. She'd seen him die. She'd seen him live out to old age. She'd watched as he was mutilated. She'd fought to stop it.

Then, slowly, memories began to seep in, like water into a mine.

The Bears. Center Mountain. Elder Torifu. Shizune. Tsunade.

Koji.

Koji!

"Gen-Genma-sensei?" Her voice wavered. He gave a short, assured nod. It was him. It was him and—"Genma-sensei, p-please…Please, not Koji. Please... not Koji. Please not Koji. Not Koji, sensei."

Her teacher took the senbon from his mouth, lips pressing together. Miho knew it was true without him saying a word. The tears that gathered in his eyes were enough to confirm it. Genma-sensei wouldn't cry. Not unless… Everything swelled up to a breaking point and Miho lifted her hands up to cover her face.

"Miho…Koji's— Koji's gone."

She didn't mean to make the sound that fell out of her. She really didn't. It just hurt so much. Pressing the side of her hand into her mouth, she bit down and sobbed into it. Throughout her sobbing, Genma-sensei kept a hand on her head. It was a steadying presence, even if she knew he was hurting just as much as she was.

"Tet-Tetsuya?"

"Alive." The Hokage answered. "He was gravely injured sacrificing himself to spring a trap meant for a comrade."

Miho pulled herself together, understanding the Hokage's tone. Koji would want her to be strong. He'd want her to focus on Tetsuya and Genma-sensei. Tetsuya needed her. Tetsuya needed her. Genma-sensei needed her. Her mourning could wait for the moment. Until all was done that needed to be done. Then, she could honor him and hurt, with her teammates.

Sniffling loudly, she dragged both hands across her cheeks and looked to the Hokage. The woman looked back at her, eyes critical.

"We'll be bringing him out of his medically-induced coma this afternoon. In the meantime, you will be undergoing a series of evaluations." Genma-sensei's hand fell away and she glanced to him, noticing that the senbon was back between his teeth as he listened to the Hokage. His brows were knitted together. She could see the bags under his eyes and the way his skin pulled at his cheekbones. He'd been alone all this time. "You will also provide a debrief on your time in captivity."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

Nodding, the woman turned to the door, watching as it opened. Miho bit back a lurch of anxiety that pealed up her throat when her father stepped through the too-small door. Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi followed along with Shizune. Her father approached, head hung low and his once warm eyes cautious. Like he didn't know what to do as he neared her. His hands opened and closed at his sides.

Miho bit her lip, chewing on it when he didn't approach to hug her or embrace her or…apologize.

He'd always been a pillar of strength.

She didn't feel anything from him at the moment.

No strength. No reassurance.

Just a big gaping hole where he _should_ be.

It seemed the Hokage, her teacher, and the others in the room thought the same. Miho felt awkward tension rise. Swallowing, Miho cursed in her head. Why couldn't they give her time with her mother? Why wasn't Chōji— Wait.

Chōji.

"Miho, I—"

"Has Chōji returned from the Retrieval Arc? Did they— Are they okay?"

Her father's mouth hung open and he looked a bit frantic as he turned toward Inoichi. There was a new scar on his face. Miho felt her stomach lurch at the sight of it. She didn't know where he got it. The invasion? She pealed her eyes away from it and focused instead on the Hokage.

"No, not yet. As tends to happen when Naruto's involved…Things went a bit sideways. Oh, don't look like that. They're due to return this afternoon. I'd like to hurry up and get all of this over with before it's impossible to enforce the 'two visitor' limit rule. Kami knows Naruto and those other brats won't listen to it." The Hokage sat her hands on her hips. "So, kid, I want to hear it all. Then, you're gonna have a physical and an evaluation with Inoichi. After that, you will be under guard until I deem otherwise."

Miho nodded, taking some strength from the fact that Genma-sensei seemed just as stand-offish as she felt. And maybe that was wrong. Maybe it was wrong to blame her father like she did. Maybe she should've had better control. Maybe she should've been the bigger person.

The bigger person… when he was the biggest person in the room.

She described it all. The attack by Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū. The way Aburame Torune stabbed Koji in the gut. The blood. The pills. The Yamanaka's attempts to take over her mind, to see what she saw. To get to her knowledge. Inoichi flinched and she looked at him, shaking her head. The world swam a bit when she did that.

"Ino put traps in my head. Since we were nine. So— so many of them. I didn't know. Every time she was in my head she laid them. Fail safes. She made my head a fortress. My head's nothing but a kaleidoscope."

"I saw them. The traps." His lips tilted a bit, a proud sort of turn that made Miho wish that her father would look at her the same way. "When the Third had me explore your mind, I saw them. They told me how much Ino trusts you. Thinks of you as family." He nodded to the Hokage, whose brows were raised for an explanation. "It is an advanced technique that is forbidden within the Yamanaka Clan. Over years, a Yamanaka can implant false memories and create incorrect connections within a mind. This is often done by older members of the clan to fortify the minds of younger members. The return of enemy shinobi with altered memories is a related technique."

"She saved me. She saved everyone."

Heart racing, Miho turned away from Inoichi to face the Hokage again. She'd start crying again if she looked at him too long. Ino looked so much like her dad. The Hokage's expression hadn't changed, but it instead held a light that Miho couldn't quite identify.

"Was it ever clear _how_ Danzō learned of you?"

Miho's attention immediately flicked to her father. She looked away as quickly as she could, focusing on the Hokage again. It was very clear how Danzō learned of her and her knowledge. It was one of the few things she _knew_.

"One of the ANBU that day…when my knowledge was revealed to the Hokage…was a member of Root. He was there." Miho turned, looking at Genma-sensei. His eyes widened and then he nodded, understanding her meaning. It was the ANBU that he'd restrained.

His hair color had looked familiar…

because it was Fū.

She'd never forget his hair and his eyes. She wasn't even sure what she remembered correctly anymore. How reliable was her own mind? There were so many echoes from so many different worlds rattling around in her brain. Memories from this life and other lives and false lives. She remembered things she shouldn't.

Her father in her most recent past life was an engineer. He raced cars like a hellion. People people called him "Superman." He could bench press nearly 500 pounds and always took the side of the underdog. He took on gangs and fell for the bookworm good girl from the better side of the tracks.

He died of cancer. When he died, his arms were even thinner than her own now as she wrapped her fingers around her wrist. Superman's kryptonite was an infection.

_You call me strong. You call me weak, but still your secrets I will keep._

Her father stepped forward and Miho looked to him.

"Danzō has been killed," he said. Like it was a plea. Or an offering.

Miho nodded. She already knew that. The Hokage had killed him. He and his team helped. Her father's expression broke her heart. She wanted to reach out for him, bury her face in his chest, and wait for all of this to be over. He'd make it all go away, wouldn't he? But she just couldn't do that.

She felt something in the room shift.

Her teacher eased his stance, moving to sit in the chair by her bedside. Each of the Clan Heads eased as well while the Hokage let out a breath. It only took Miho a moment to read the room.

"They're back." Miho's words were met with a nod from the Hokage. Knowing that she needed to finish her report so that the Hokage could see to the returned shinobi, Miho raised her chin. "I knew I was close to death. I used what was left of my chakra to summon a Bear. I was reverse summoned to Center Mountain, where they stabilized me."

"The end." The Hokage scoffed, shaking her head. It was with a bit of humor at her quick wrap-up and Miho smiled just a bit. "I'll need a formalized report by the end of this week. You're not gonna have much to do in here anyway." She turned, moving toward the door. "Shizune! Complete work up then transfer to hospital care. Soft foods diet starting tomorrow. Physical therapy starting in three days. Shiranui, with me. I'm starting the awakening process for your other kid before I can't get anything done for the rest of the day. Hop on it!"

Miho looked to her teacher, watching his face light up in a way she hadn't seen since she'd awakened. She smiled back, squeezing his hand when his larger one grabbed hers in a reassuring move.

"I'll be next door, okay? We'll get you two moved in together soon."

"Don't let Stringbean get-get too obnoxious over there."

He clicked his tongue and winked, putting a senbon between his teeth. "No promises."

"Shiranui!"

"Coming, coming."

Miho let out a breath, turning to see her father lingering halfway to the door. Inoichi was just leaving, tossing her a nod over his shoulder. Nara Shikaku was already gone, likely on his way to see to Shikamaru.

_"I quit being a ninja."_

Was Chōji in trouble? Was he okay? What about the others? The Hokage said that Chōji used one of the pills. What if he had to use the others? Did Lee go this time? He was never mentioned. If there were complications, did that mean that Sasuke had changed his mind? Tetsuya was being awakened next door… He would learn about Koji soon. Miho's stomach felt sick.

She wanted to eat.

"I'm sorry, Miho. I should have- I should have trusted you."

Miho nodded, raising her hands to hold onto the fur of the vest. It felt sticky under her sweaty, clammy palms.

"Miho—"

"Chōji. Please—_Please_ go check on Chōji. I just— I—" Swallowing, Miho stopped looking at him and instead laid her head back against the pillow. The ceiling wasn't comforting, but it also wasn't her father. "I can't. I can't. Not today." When the tears starting coming, she turned her head toward the window and squeezed them shut. She didn't let them start falling until she heard him move to the door.

When the she heard the shh-click of the door and felt the stillness of the room, she let go of the control to which she'd so desperately clung. She pressed the red scarf to her face and fought to steady herself. The IV needle stung on her hand. _Steady, Miho, steady. You're the strong one. You're the strong one. _

It was her first time being alone since the cell.

_You took for granted all the times I never let you down._

_"Look, sweetheart, your good ol' buddy Koji's just tryin' to look out for ya. Tryin' to be a good teammate. And you're not makin' it easy."_

No, Miho realized. She wouldn't be steady again for a long, long time.

* * *

**A/N: **It's the last week of the semester! It has been a semester full of transitions, learning moments, and tangible growth. I'm so grateful I have the time to write.

This chapter was a hard one to write. Because it's a transition, too. We're moving into the next sections of this story. Thank you SO MUCH for your thoughts, your encouragement, and reviews! Thank you for the follows and favorites!

Looking forward to the next chapter- with some long-awaited reunions!


	22. Part I: Secondary Motif

She could hear a voice— sweet and old— singing the same words over and over. As if the woman didn't know the other lyrics to the song. If there were other lyrics at all. Miho couldn't remember them either, the other words. Just _"You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away._" Over and over and over.

It was her grandmother's voice. From another life, the most recent one. Miho could remember her now, her kind smile and soothing presence. Whenever she would cry, Miho could remember her grandmother wrapping her up in her arms, singing as she rocked. Even as an adult, Miho looked to that woman for comfort. _"You are my sunshine. My only sunshine…"_

"You make me happy when skies are gray." Miho held onto Tetsuya's hand, tilting her head to rest more fully on his shoulder. He didn't move, didn't react to her sudden singing. He just lay there next to her, listening. "You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

It was quiet then, like it had been for a while. Miho was comfortable with it. The quiet was reassuring…because Tetsuya was there. Awake. Alive. Present. She'd climbed into bed with him as soon as Genma-sensei left. Their teacher promised to return with fresh clothes and books and hospital-forbidden snacks. Tetsuya only had to move a bit to accommodate her now-small body. He had grimaced when he raised his arm for her to lean into his shoulder.

"Feels weird."

Miho only nodded._ Everything_ felt weird. Off. Strange.

"You still sing off-pitch."

"They still haven't told them."

Tetsuya scoffed. "Unspecific much?"

"The adults. They still haven't told Naruto, Lee…Ino, Chōji, and Shikamaru… that I'm alive and you're awake."

"That's why it's so quiet." Tetsuya said. His voice was full of awe. Like he'd just realized how _quiet_ it really was in that hospital room. "Genma-sensei said Ino brought me flowers every week." Miho nodded, looking to the wilted daises. "And that Naruto guarded me. Lee visited, read to me." He paused and she could see his curiosity building. "What _happened_, Miho?"

Miho should've expected the question. When Genma-sensei omitted her situation as something to discuss later, she knew Tetsuya would only wait until their teacher left.

"I—"

"If it's something you can't talk about, I-I understand."

Miho turned her face further into the nape of his neck, trying to control her breathing. She owed it to him, an explanation. She knew their room was secured since she'd been moved into it. Secured by ANBU that Genma-sensei trusted. Secured by Akimichi privacy seals. Secured by Akimichi guards, who stood at the doorway with their bō at the ready. She owed him this.

She should have told him sooner.

She should've told them both.

"I know the future. A future."

Tetsuya didn't react for a long moment and her words seemed to linger in the stale hospital air. She shivered as they brushed against her skin, like the film of dirt, a sense that she couldn't quite shake. "Is that what you couldn't tell us before? Why you kept lying?"

Miho nodded. "It's easier to show than it is to explain."

He sat with that. "Ino." It was quiet again for a moment. "Can you… try to explain?"

"Before…Before it was just Images, like a cartoon on a screen. I could see things. Like a movie. I lived before this life. Multiple lives. In my past life, this place was a…setting. A setting for a story. I knew the story, watched it. I saw things that happened before we were born. Things that were or are going to happen. I saw the invasion, the things that led to it."

She didn't see Koji dying. She didn't see a lot. Tetsuya didn't call that out.

"All of it centered on Naruto."

"Uzumaki Naruto? Why?"

Miho swallowed. "It's his story." Tetsuya shifted. She wondered if he remembered pushing Naruto on the playground. She could feel the muscles shift in his arm and she looked down to see his hand fisted where it lay on his stomach. "He's…the main character. The title character. He's…He deserves so much. So much better than what he got. I didn't do anything for so long…and then I did."

"Made me eat dirt, from what I remember." Tetsuya sighed, raising a hand to press it flat against his forehead. He'd picked up that habit from Koji. Miho tried not to flinch at the reminder. "So, what? Is he gonna save the world or something?"

Miho felt the Images seep in from the back of her mind, where she had hidden them for so long.

Explosions. A red moon.

The war was coming. An explosion on the horizon. Headquarters. So many people… And golden chakra.

Golden cloaks. Gold chakra. Like the sun. Like the sun rising on a world torn apart.

"Yeah," Miho whispered. Her hand sought out Tetsuya's, gripping it like it might keep her stable. "Yeah, he saves everyone. Everyone, Tetsuya." She shifted. "That's not why I want to protect him. He's…just…He's good. He's such a good person. I want to protect him. Somehow. In all of this."

He didn't laugh at her.

He didn't scoff.

He didn't tell her she was crazy or that she was lying.

He tightened his grip on her hand in return. As if holding her hand tighter might keep her there. "I bullied him." Miho's mouth opened, but his head shook. She felt a rush of gratefulness. He took her words as truth and didn't question it. "My grandmother hated— hates him. I thought that if I…then I stopped caring what she thought." He pulled in a big breath and held it for a moment.

And the silence in the room felt deafening and comforting at the same time.

"Don't really care that he's some kinda savior." Tetsuya said after a minute. He shifted, turning to look at her. Miho mirrored the action, looking back at him.

She realized then that they were both shells. Their former selves had been ripped away. She was a dehydrated husk. He was her reflection. The same onyx eyes that had once been alight with antagonism were now steady, sure, and caring. He'd sacrificed himself for Neji. His skin was healed, but scars littered his face. One gash cut up his left cheek to a jagged end around his eye. Miho refocused on his eyes, not feeling guilty for looking at the scars.

"It'll take some getting used to." He tried to smile, but it petered out too quickly. "Was gonna joke about being ruggedly handsome."

Miho nodded. "You'll grow into it."

Tetsuya's eyes rolled. "He's your brother."

Miho nodded again.

"Savior or not, he matters to you, so he matters to me."

It was said with such certainty. A matter of fact. A simple truth.

"Thank you, Tetsuya."

They settled into silence for a while. He didn't pepper her with questions, not like she'd come to expect. She'd expected to be grilled, quizzed, chastised. Like always. She…expected him to hate her for keeping her knowledge of secret. Instead, he focused on something else.

"They were trying to get at what's in your head, weren't they?"

Miho chewed on her lip, desperately wishing that it was a steamed bun or cookies or anything more substantial than the pureed diet they had her on. Genma-sensei was bringing her some soba noodles and some mochi. He'd promised. "Ino put traps in my head. They never got what they wanted."

He hummed. "The thing about traps is that they usually leave a mark." He reached up a pulled idly at the skin of his cheek, making the scar look tight and uncomfortable. Miho grimaced. He'd gotten caught in a trap. Tetsuya looked at her. "What d'your scars look like?"

Tears sprung up in Miho's eyes without warning and she immediately looked away, trying to get a handle on the way her eyes were watering. She couldn't tell it was hurt or love or anger or missing Koji so damn much that had her crying again. So, she told him— about Chōji's actions, about her father's report to the Hokage, about the past lives. The flashes and the fear.

The way she couldn't close her eyes anymore without seeing things.

"I—I can get my weight back. I can train. _We_ can train. I can get fast again. Faster. I can hit harder. I can do a lot. I'm not done." Tetsuya nodded, agreeing to the unstated fact that they were still going to be a team _without Koji_. "But I can't trust my father. And—And I can't— I can't really…I don't want to go back to—"

"Funny…" He chuckled a bit, raising his right arm. She could see it shaking with the effort as he made a finger gun and grinned. It was more hollow than usual, but—somewhere behind the grief and the pain— it was genuine. "I was getting real tired of living at the Utatane Estate. It's boring and old and not my style. Besides, the old bird can't wait to be rid of me. A roommate would be pretty cool."

Miho leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It didn't feel normal and it probably wouldn't for a while. She was too thin and he was too thin. They were both too weak. But with the way Tetsuya held to her shoulder and pressed his chin into her neck, Miho resolved to never hide her thoughts from her teammate again.

"Koji…Koji died because— because they were after me. They wanted—They wanted what was in my head. He died— He died because—"

Tetsuya pushed her back and Miho felt her stomach sink. His head shook. Then, it shook some more. "Koji…Koji died…" He swallowed and then narrowed his eyes in determination and resolution. "Koji died because he was a good person trying to protect someone he loved. Don't…Miho, don't give them that kind of power over his memory."

"Tetsuya's right, Miho."

Miho jolted, looking over to see Genma-sensei climbing through the window. Tetsuya smiled a bit and let his head settle back into the pillow as she sat up. "Eavesdropping on teenagers, sensei?" It was an empty joke and Miho could sense it fall onto the floor. Genma-sensei leveled her a cool look, moving the senbon to the corner of his lips as he raised a plastic bag.

"You wanna keep diverting or should I just take this back?" Miho closed her mouth. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You told him then? Your knowledge didn't kill Koji. Root and Danzō did." Miho looked at him, knowing that he also blamed her father to some degree for Koji's death. He didn't say it and neither did she. His eyes tracked to Tetsuya. "You ok?"

"Very not okay, but— Oh you mean with Miho's—" He wiggled his fingers. Their teacher gave him a dull stare in answer. Tetsuya shrugged. "It'd be pretty cool if it wasn't so scary, and, you know, actively threatening her life."

Genma-sensei nodded. "Yeah…Wait until you see it." He pierced the top of a convenience store drink.

Tetsuya shook his head, taking the proffered banana milk. His hands shook with the weight of it, but he managed. Miho took hers and waited for her teammate to speak, sipping on it as she looked between Genma-sensei and Tetsuya. It was almost peaceful, though certainly not normal. Koji would be fretting over them. Her parents would be…Miho gulped down the drink, raising her brows at Tetsuya shaking his head again.

"Don't wanna see it. You can explain it, sure. I don't wanna see it."

Relief.

Their teacher settled into the chair under the window, sliding down into it to rest his shoulders against the sun-warmed pleather. "Not a bad call, Tetsuya."

"Does Hayate-sensei know?"

"About you and her or just her?"

"Both, I guess."

"He knows you're awake and that she's back. Doesn't know about the other stuff. Not— " Genma-sensei wiggled his fingers. "He would've died before the invasion though without—" He wiggled his fingers again and rolled his eyes at Tetsuya's stricken expression. "Kid, you're offending me with this star-struck puppy routine."

"He's _awesome_." Tetsuya retorted. "He's like— one of the best swordsmen out there."

"You haven't been 'out there.'" Genma-sensei drawled, shrugging his shoulders a little in the sunlight. He reminded Miho of a cat curling up in a sunbeam. Tetsuya scoffed, taking another sip of his contraband banana milk. "He'll visit soon, I think. You're still his student, after all." Miho studiously ignored the way Tetsuya looked down at his thinner arms.

Her team was together again, and it was the safest she'd felt since Koji had been with her in the streets of Konoha, fighting shinobi from Oto. Safer than she felt with just her father and mother in the room. Her mother never pushed and her father never knew what to say. There wasn't really anything he could say. Their visits became awkward silences. And those tore at her more than the pitiful sighs of her mother.

"Hand me that book, Genma-sensei. I'll read for a little while."

Her teacher stood and passed her the book before falling back into his chair.

_The Empire Falls._ Miho looked to Genma-sensei, but he'd already closed his eyes and leaned back to get more comfortable. She could sense Tetsuya's eyes on the book cover and she chewed on the inside of her cheek. Her favorite book in the series. The series that brought them all together. The origin of the "Book Club." Miho looked at Tetsuya and met his eyes.

He smiled, but the smile didn't quite seem genuine. He gestured for her to settle back again next to him, making room. Miho opened the book as she pulled the old knitted blanket Genma-sensei had brought over her and her teammate's legs.

She could see that Genma-sensei had opened an eye, pulling the senbon from his teeth.

Clearing her throat, Miho swallowed down the strangest sense. The strangest feeling that she'd ever felt before. That Koji was there, even though he wasn't. Like he'd be okay with this. If this was how they coped. If they kept it together, hibernating until they could deal with more or until the world made them emerge. Koji would have accepted anything if it meant they would heal.

Miho started on the first page.

_"The town on the edge of the river raised up Tigers as deities. The southern tribes praised fire birds. The Great Turtle ruled the north. What more could a man with the convictions of a dragon do? The Fifth Prince…"_

Miho continued to read until Tetsuya and Genma-sensei were asleep, letting herself fall into a dreamlike story.

* * *

"You should go see her."

Chōji didn't move, rotating his hand back and forth. The skin felt strange on his arm, tighter. Weird. It didn't feel right. It felt like there should still be blood there. His hand felt hot and the skin felt tight. And Chōji's chest hadn't felt right in months. He'd— He'd— He looked up at Shikamaru, trying not to see the worry in his best friend's eyes. Shikamaru knew him better than anyone, after all. He could still feel the snap of bone under his fist.

And he didn't even have to take the third pill.

It made him sick.

He knew that feeling would never wash off. The blood would never go away. His hand would always feel…dirty. He wasn't ashamed of it. Not really. No, he would do it again if he had to. He'd punch his hand through any chest if it meant protecting his friends.

He couldn't lose Shikamaru.

Not after losing Miho.

So, Chōji punched the giant through the chest.

He could be strong like that. So strong that he could break boulders one day. Maybe he could move mountains. Move them out of the way for people who needed water. Like the old stories. The man who worked for the Sage of Six Paths. Maybe he could help build houses and move rubble. Help people. He could face down a giant and yank his heart out.

But Chōji couldn't face his sister.

"What a…" Shikamaru didn't say 'drag,' but he wanted to. Chōji could feel the word hanging in the unfinished sentence. "She doesn't even blame you, Chōji." Shikamaru sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "She knows the real ones at fault were Danzō and Root."

"How— Did she tell you that she doesn't blame me?"

"Ino. She told Ino." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Ino told me, with Miho's permission." His friend grunted as he pushed off the doorframe and moved further into the room. His splayed his hands open. Chōji glared at the broken finger. "Look, I get—"

"No. No, you don't 'get it.'" Chōji was on his feet. He didn't remember standing. "If I hadn't— If I didn't tell our father— I trusted him to do what was right. To help me protect her!" Chōji didn't realize how fast he was breathing until Shikamaru stepped forward and sat a hand on his shoulder. The tightness of his skin pulled and pulled and pulled. "If I hadn't said anything—"

"If you didn't say anything, everything could have gone perfectly. We could have saved the Hokage, saved the village damage, saved lives. Miho would've died. If you didn't say anything, our plan could have failed. The village could have fallen. We all could have died. Miho could have lived." Shikamaru held onto his shoulder with his uninjured hand. His head shook, eyes so tired. "You were trying to protect her."

Chōji felt tears piling up in his eyes and he dropped his head, not wanting to let anyone in the hallway see. "How— How is she?" He knew how small his voice sounded. How weak.

And he swore after Miho was taken that he would never be weak again.

He'd be strong enough to protect her whenever she returned.

Strong enough to protect Ino and Shikamaru.

He'd be strong enough to protect Naruto if she wasn't there to do it.

"She's a mess, but she's keeping it together." Shikamaru stepped back, giving Chōji the room to wipe his eyes on his sleeves. "Ino put traps in her head to protect her knowledge of the future. They never got anything out of her—"

"I don't care about that!"

"Neither do I, Chōji." Shikamaru sighed, palming his forehead. Chōji felt guilty. Of course Shikamaru didn't care about that. "They messed with her head. Tortured her. You can see it, Chōji. She's…not okay. It'll be a long time for her to recover. Even then…"

His friend was beating around the bush and that wasn't like him. Chōji leveled him a patient stare, chewing at the inside of his cheek. With Nara Sigh, Shikamaru relented.

"She's a husk, Chōji. Just…prepare yourself for it."

The sound of heels on the linoleum made Chōji's stomach drop. The Hokage stopped and stared at them for a long moment, a tick starting in her cheek. "Akimichi, I thought you'd be with your sister already." Chōji went to respond, but the Hokage jerked her head. "I'm on my way to that room now. I wanted to check on them before heading back to the Tower."

Chōji couldn't refuse the Hokage.

And she knew it.

Shikamaru raised a brow and tucked his hands into his pockets, following the Hokage with a feigned put-upon shuffle. Chōji's heart fell to the floor. He took two steps into the dimly lit hallway and stopped.

He vaguely heard the Hokage and Shikamaru stop.

_Miho hated him. She had to._

"I— I can't—"

"You will. She's been asking about you since she returned. You and Uzumaki are the only ones she hasn't seen. And the latter is only because _he doesn't know yet_."

When Chōji didn't move, she called out to him.

"Hey, kid!" Chōji felt himself turn. The Hokage's eyes were hard. Unforgiving. Unrelenting. "Look, you wanna blame yourself for what happened? You go right ahead. Dial up the drama a notch. Go for it. This girl deserves support. If you're going to make this about you and your self-pity, then get out of my hospital and lick your wounds somewhere else."

The Hokage scoffed and walked down the hallway. Chōji's attention flickered to Shikamaru, who was half-turned to him in a beam of light from the open door of a room.

"Come on, Chōji."

The way his heart was beating, it felt like indigestion. Like the bubbling pain that came with acid reflux. Chōji felt like he couldn't breath as he forced himself to follow Shikamaru to the 200 hallway.

"What the hell did I say, Akimichi?" Chōji stopped, looking into the room Shikamaru had entered, watching as the Hokage waved her hands in the air. He could see Ino propped on the end of a bed beyond a curtain. Past them, he could see Tetsuya— face scarred and gaunt— grinning from ear to ear. Genma-sensei sat in the corner, huddled over a book with a senbon dangling from his lips. The Hokage whipped around to the jōnin. "If you bring them any more snacks, I'm putting you on gate duty!"

He could hear Miho's light laugh at Genma-sensei's scandalized expression.

"Troublesome…What did you smuggle in now?"

"Mochi." Tetsuya cheered. His voice sounded weak and tired, but happy.

The Hokage moved a bit as Chōji stepped into the room.

He was supposed to protect her.

He was supposed to shield her from the world, keep her safe. He was supposed to be the one that fought off the threats. He was supposed to be the one that supported her in everything. He was supposed to be there for her.

Her eyes met his instantly.

She— She couldn't be his sister.

His sister was bigger than him. She was broader and larger and he caught up to her, but she was always… And now….He could feel everyone looking at him, waiting for him to do something. She was waiting for him to do something.

He could see her eyes soften. "Chōji…"

Her eyes were the same. They were set into a narrow, ashen face, but they were the same. And they weren't filled with hate. Or anger. Or— There it was though. Her shoulders rose and rolled back. They were prominent under the heavy vest she wore. Chōji faltered, the bubbling in his chest becoming painful. How could she still love him after what happened?

_"I'll protect you. I – I promise."_

Chōji couldn't. He couldn't.

He saw Ino's mouth start to open. He saw Miho say his name, but he couldn't hear it.

He just ran.

* * *

Miho lowered her hand, which shook so prominently that she felt a shiver go up her spine. Blinking away tears, she shoved the hurt and rejection to a far corner of her mind. Chōji just…Chōji needed time. She fiddled with the edge of the sheets, looking at the ridges on her nails as they regrew. The tension in the air was electric, stifling. She didn't chance looking up at Ino or Shikamaru. Instead, she glanced to Tetsuya.

His expression was thunderous. He held her stare for a long moment before scoffing, tossing both hands behind his head. Miho felt the tension building between her shoulder blades when Genma-sensei stood.

"Go handle your teammate, Ino, Shikamaru."

Ino sighed, pushing herself off the end of Miho's bed. _Don't let it bother you._

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. _Of course it's going to bother her._ "What a drag…" Miho was surprised when the Nara came up to grasp her hand, nodding his head to her before he left. Ino stayed for a moment longer.

"It's not your responsibility to make him feel better about all this, Miho."

Miho opened her mouth to respond when the Hokage stepped up between the beds, drawing her attention away from Ino so that her friend could make a clean exit.

"What do you say to a field trip?"

"Both of us?" Tetsuya questioned, sitting up a bit more in his bed. He'd been itching for an escape for hours. Hours. The Hokage nodded and Tetsuya whooped. Two wheelchairs were brought in by medics. "Where to, Lady Hokage-ma'am?"

"Genma here is taking you to see an _absolutely annoying_ kenjutsu mast—"

"Hayate-sensei?"

Miho felt the earlier hurt melting away at Genma-sensei's comically hurt expression. He held a hand over his heart, looking down at her teammate. "What did I say about—"

Her view of her team was blocked by the Hokage, who easily slipped one arm under her shoulders and her knees to draw her up. Miho shuddered a bit at the warmth, feeling colder than she had with her weight. She was deposited in a too-large wheelchair. "thank you, Lady Hokage." The woman smiled a bit, dragging the blanket from the bed and setting it over her legs.

"That vest doesn't really go with your ensemble here." Miho looked down at the gray hospital gown. Fingers trailed through her hair and Miho jerked in surprise, finding that the Hokage was straightening her wild, but limp, hair. "Genma— Did you seriously not bring the girl a brush?"

"Her parents did. It's in the bag over there."

The Hokage scoffed, shaking her head as she stood back. "I am sure that your mother would help you to get straightened up a bit more now that you're stable."

Miho nodded absently, raising both hands to drag over her hair.

"Doesn't matter where we're going."

They parted ways with Genma-sensei and Tetsuya, with the latter rattling off every awesome thing about Hayate-sensei with a surreptitious wink at Miho over his shoulder. He was obviously weak, settled heavy into the chair, but his eyes were more alive than they'd been since she'd seen him for the first time after his awakening and her return. Tetsuya was _alive_ again.

"Where're we going, Lady Hokage?"

"Not too far. Figured we'd make a stop on the way to the gardens."

The Hokage turned a corner and opened a door.

Miho's eyes adjusted to the light, which was bright from the open window. The world seemed to focus and center. A million and one realities crashing into one another in her head, echoes of possibilities and futures and chaos. The past and the future. Gold and red and Miho felt sick. Sick and _so ecstatically happy_. All mapped into one person. He turned.

"Naruto."

He stared back. "Miho?"

She wanted to stand up, to scramble up to her feet the same way he was. "Careful, Naruto." The Hokage tried to caution, but Naruto continued to fight with the blankets until he was free, throwing himself off the bed. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when he started to fall face-forward into the linoleum.

Someone appeared at the last second, grabbing his arm to keep him upright.

"Idiot."

Miho's voice caught in her throat.

Before she could think about his presence, Naruto's arms were around her shoulders. And he was crying. He was crying and Miho reached up to hold into his shoulders as they shook. He didn't hold her too tight, but tight enough. Enough that she felt secure. The only place she could look was the ceiling, which made the tears fall back into her hair. She gripped him tighter. Because he was steady.

"Naruto… I'm—"

"I'm so glad— I'm so glad you're—" He pulled back and smiled. Smiled as big and as bright and as warm as she had ever seen. It was a watery smile, with water under his eyes and nose, but it was so _bright_. "I'm so glad you're home!"

Miho nodded as she was pulled into another hug with the Hokage's laughter and Uchiha Sasuke's scoff in the background.

For a moment, it didn't matter. None of it. The terror that rattled her brain was silenced. The image of Chōji's face as he turned and ran away was blotted out. Her father's shame vanished. She couldn't see the nightmares or hear screams or explosions or any of the cacophony. She could just hear Naruto's laughter. His joyful laughter as he cried and his tears soaked the fabric of her vest.

"I'm— I'm home, Naruto. I'm home."

* * *

**A/N:**

The semester is finally over!

I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's one of my favorites. Thank you for your kind words in reviews! Thank you for taking the time to review. Thank you for favorites and follows! Please let me know your thoughts on this most recent chapter! Thank you for reading!


	23. Part I: Détournement

"You're being a coward. And I don't want a coward on my team."

Ino crossed her arms and watched as Chōji shifted his weight from one leg to the other. Never once did he make eye contact with her. Never once did he look up from his hands, which shook and bled. There were shattered boulders around the training field, scattered like fallen leaves. She cut Shikamaru a look as her patience began to wear thin. Her patience was already threadbare. Her emotions had already endured the gamut. Miho was alive.

Miho was alive and…

Seeing what Miho saw… Seeing what that bastard cousin of hers did…What her friend endured…

Ino had to bite her tongue to keep from yelling.

When Ino had raised her hand, tears in her eyes— so that she could see, so that she could understand— Miho had recoiled.

Then, she'd apologized. Like it was her own damn fault.

Miho kept seeing it, all of it. Her mind was never at peace. Not just this life and the horrors that were coming and the horrors that had happened. Other lives, too. Other memories. Memories Ino had fabricated over the years. Her dreams as a little girl. Her nightmares. So many scenarios. Miho thought in stories and Ino tried to protect her with narratives. And now, Chōji had only made things worse. Miho's relationship with her family was already broken. Now, it was broken and bloody.

Chōji didn't get it.

Chōji didn't _get it_.

Chōji was being an idiot.

Chōji was _really_ pissing her off.

"I let it go when you did it, Chōji. I kept that secret for years. Years. You kept it for months and it was somehow too heavy for you." She paused. "Guess that's what we get for thinking you were the strongest among us."

"Ino—"

She held a hand out, and Shikamaru stopped in his tracks. She met his eyes, trying to impress upon him how done she was with this idiocy. He shrugged his tense shoulders, but he didn't stop her. His silence was agreement. Shikamaru never abided by something he didn't agree with, even if it was troublesome.

"I didn't say anything because Miho forgave you then. Well, I'm done with it. You know what? You think she's different? You're scared because she's different? You're gonna run because _she's different_?"

Chōji still wouldn't look at her and Ino had enough. She threw herself forward, catching Chōji's arm to yank him forward as she threw his weight off-balance. She'd sparred with him and Miho enough to know that their weight could be used against them. He didn't even try to fight it.

Her teammate crashed into the dirt on his back, sending a dust cloud drifting over the otherwise empty training field.

"She is different, you idiot! She's never going to be the same! Why? Huh? Why do you think she's different? It sure isn't because she's so thin! Get over yourself!" Chōji started to push himself up, still keeping his eyes averted. Ino growled, pushing him down again and pressing her knee to his sternum. He wasn't wearing his armor. He left himself open for attack. She felt good when he winced.

"Ino—"

"Shut it, Shikamaru."

"I-I know."

"You-You know what?" Ino pressed her knee hard against his sternum, making sure that he was looking her in the eyes. "You _ran_. You ran away from her. Do you know how much she needed you? And you _ran_." Swallowing down the swell at the back of her throat, she gouged her knee down a bit more before stepping off and kicking dirt in his direction as she strode away. "She doesn't know what she's woken up to! Do you think anyone has told her about the sanctions? What do you think she'll think when she finds out, huh? Do you think you have _any right_ to _no_t be there for her? You're her _brother._"

Ino leaned her head back to keep the tears at bay. Because she was not a crier.

She was a fixer.

But there was no fixing this mess.

"I— I shouldn't be! I shouldn't be her brother! I didn't protect her from it. That's— That's why. I—"

"You ran because of your guilt." Shikamaru summarized. "Not because of her."

Ino had the tears under control again. She looked over to her teammate, who sat where he'd been thrown. She tried not to feel guilty herself. He looked horrible. A mess. Only part of that was her fault, but— once upon a time— she'd promised herself that she'd never bring her teammates down. Not like she did in the Images.

"That's your problem. Sort out your guilt by being there for her."

"Ino, what…did— What did you see?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. The last time she shared _anything_ with Chōji, he'd betrayed her trust. "It's her business."

His fists tightened then loosened as he slowly stood up, looking over to her. Ino flinched, surprised at the expression on his face.

Every so often, Chōji surprised her. He was a calm, sweet, and caring person. He had almost insurmountable patience and a kind heart. Her father always said that Chōji was the kind of child that would not have been a shinobi if he had a choice in his lineage. Her father always said that with a bit of sadness. For all his kindness, Chōji would have to kill, and her father lamented that.

Her father never said the same of her.

Looking at him now, she could see the Akimichi Chōji that had punched his hand through another person's chest.

The one they had watched take down Jirobu.

"What did they do to her, Ino?"

Ino took a breath and swallowed. A cool wind struck the back of her neck and she shivered. "I put these traps in her head. Like what my family did to prisoners of war in the Third Great Shinobi War. I knew that someday someone would try to get into her mind without permission. It's like— layers of false memories and fake connections."

The Yamanaka Clan knew the mind better than anyone.

"Enemies could try to read the mind of the returned prisoner. All they would find would be useless."

Shikamaru looked endlessly bored and tired, but she could see the slightest uptick in his brow. Chōji stared, face carefully devoid of emotion. Her stomach turned because…she probably pushed him to this. She wondered if…

If the Chōji she saw in the Images so long ago would survive.

"Every time he tried to access her spiritual energy, through the tenketsu in her head, he was diverted. Like a trigger. No matter how many times he tried, he didn't get access. He kept getting thrown into the fake memories and realities I created in her mind."

Ino didn't know when she created the trap that it would do so much damage.

"He kept _trying_."

Miho'd been tortured with it. Ino saw. She saw when the fake memories became real memories. She saw when the fake futures became real futures. A tired, exhausted mind doesn't know fiction from reality. It'd been used for years, for decades, in interrogation techniques.

Ino saw when he started to use it against her.

To make her beg for it to stop.

To make her break.

"He used it against her."

All the false realities where they lost the war. All the false memories of other worlds. All the real memories of other worlds. All the real realities where they lost the war. He tapped into them, became them. Used them. Still, he could never get what he wanted.

Despite everything, Miho allowed Ino into her head. Shaking with fear, she still let Ino see her mind.

Despite what her kinsman did, she still trusted Ino without question.

Even more now than before.

No way in hell was Ino going to less than her best for Akimichi Miho.

"I'm gonna help her get it sorted." Because she had to fix it— whatever was fixable. She had to. Ino scowled, turning back to Chōji and Shikamaru. "Chōji, I know it's hard. You think you're not strong enough. And that you screwed up, which you did, but don't let it keep you from helping her. Because the moment you do is the moment you lose more than just Miho. Earn the right to call yourself her brother."

She looked to Shikamaru before turning away and making for the main property.

"_Thank you. For what you did._" Miho had smiled. The skin of her cheeks pulled at her mouth in a way she'd never seen. Her bony hands shook as she held Ino's hand up, palm open. "_It's because of you that Danzō didn't get what he wanted. It's because you protected my mind like that. I— Just…Thank you, Ino._" She settled her forehead into Ino's palm and closed her eyes.

Ino gritted her teeth and spun on her heel, stalking back to her teammates. She settled both shaking hands on her hips. Chōji didn't recoil from her pointing finger, but it was a near thing.

"And one more thing! If you ever betray her trust again, Akimichi Chōji, I swear to the kami in this world and all the other damn worlds out there that I will _end yo_u."

As she walked away, she heard Shikamaru's dull "troublesome."

To her though, it sounded a whole hell of a lot like "good job."

* * *

Genma didn't quite know how to explain it.

So, of course, he had Aoba do it for him.

Aoba, who sat in a chair between the two beds, shot him the dirtiest look he'd received in months. To be fair, he'd basically cornered the guy and then blackmailed him into this, which probably made Genma no better than the subjects being explained.

Genma lived in the gray area, so whatever.

Besides, Aoba was so much clearer with this kind of stuff. He got policies and politics. Genma didn't see the point.

"So, the sanctions are because my family_ blackmailed the Hokage_?"

Genma crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, rolling his eyes when Aoba turned to him for the clarification. Traitor. "Yeah, kinda. Because your father blackmailed _the village_. The Clan Head Council. It's an upper-level secret…which means that everyone jōnin and up knows. I figured it best you knew sooner rather than later. Knowing the Akimichi, they'll keep you in the dark until it becomes important."

Tetsuya scoffed, but said nothing. He gave his student a curious look. The kid only shrugged. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, a bandana over his head. A gift from Rock Lee— an obnoxiously familiar color of green.

An homage to Koji, Genma recognized. An homage to him. He never said anything about it.

"More like my father would." Miho drew herself up and he could see a ghost of her former self there when she rolled her shoulders back so that her posture was better. Her color was returning slowly. Her hair was shinier and her eyes brighter and her birthmarks had more contrast. "He could've sparked a civil war."

"Yeah." Aoba nodded. "He could've."

Genma could see the wheels turning in Miho's head and he wanted to get ahead of it. He knew where her thoughts were going. _The Uchiha._ "The Akimichi are going to need to repair their relationship with the village. There's a lot of distrust now. Especially if one clan can starve the entire village. It pointed out a weakness in our systems and lack of oversight."

Even as he said it, Genma felt sick.

The Akimichi undermined the entire system and threatened civilians in the middle of it all. The Hokage's sanctions were the only way to bring the Akimichi to heel while appeasing the Clan Council.

Even if most of the Clan Heads understood the action, there was no way they could support it. Only the Nara and the Yamanaka stood with the Akimichi. Even that was grudging.

"I bet my grandmother is after their heads."

Miho's head jerked around to stare at Tetsuya, who focused on his feet.

"That's why it's top secret. If word of the Akimichi Affair got out to the civilians, it would be chaos. The Akimichi are the main food suppliers for the village. If the civilians can't trust where their next meal is coming from, then they'll distrust the whole damn system." Tetsuya looked to Miho, an apologetic tilt to his expression. "The sanctions are a way of forcing the Akimichi back in line. Enough that the council feels they will not stray again. Scaring them into submission." His look turned thoughtful. "The Council— Elder or otherwise— wouldn't want this getting out. It shows a lack of centralized power. It shows weakness. This won't get out."

Genma had to applaud Tetsuya's insight. His grandmother may have been one scary kunoichi, but she was an even scarier politician. She'd raised her grandson to think in terms of politics as well, even if he hated the reality of it. Genma caught Aoba's eye and raised his brows. _Smart kid, huh?_ Aoba shook his head, a rueful smile on his face. His grandmother was a fool to train him in politics and then abandon him as she had.

"An increased tax on Akimichi imports and exports…Of course the Daimyo would agree."

"My family has a good relationship with the Daimyo." Miho's voice was level, but that was only a performance. Genma could tell she was shaken by the way her fingers gripped the blanket.

"The higher the tax on Akimichi imports and exports, paid by the Akimichi, the lower the amount of funding that is needed from Fire Country." Aoba explained, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Until the sanctions are rescinded, a majority of Akimichi monetary support comes from missions…unless they start digging into savings."

"Which makes the Akimichi subservient to the whims of the village." Tetsuya sighed, shrugging his shoulders. The kid brought up both knees and rested his arms on them.

It was the most "normal" he'd looked since the trap that nearly killed him.

Genma might've felt like crying.

"The increased taxes make the Akimichi less independent."

Genma had to applaud and he did just that, pointing at Tetsuya. "You're good at this." Tetsuya frowned, obviously not taking it as a compliment. "Look, if your grandmother is the third best politician in Konoha, you better have learned something. Miho, thoughts?" Miho jerked as if struck, raising her head.

"I don't— I don't have thoughts. There's nothing I can do about this. Father made a decision. That decision has consequences. He did it to try and find me. I appreciate— I appreciate that."

Genma noticed that she was clinical when she said it and he nodded in reassurance. "You're not indebted to him or the Akimichi for this. And you shouldn't be. Chōza elected to do this. It will have an impact on you regardless. You are an Akimichi, after all." Miho nodded, brows pulling together. "This is not the same situation as the Uchiha."

She obviously stopped breathing at that, turning to stare at him. "Is…Is it not?"

Aoba shook his head. "It's not the same."

Miho didn't look entirely convinced, lowering her head to stare at the blanket. The blanket that Naruto had brought from his apartment with a bright grin on his face that morning. It was an ugly orange old thing, but Miho had damn near cried.

A knock on the door drew his attention away from Miho's contemplative look and Tetsuya's still-irritated expression. Aoba was the one that called for the visitor to enter, moving from where he straddled the chair. The door opened wide and Genma had to choke down his shocked gasp as the senbon dangled between his lips. He quickly scrambled to assemble his unaffected mask, glaring at Aoba when he stifled a laugh.

He was a _skilled assassin_ and he did not gasp when _make-up-wearing foreigners_ showed up at his team's hospital room bearing a small green bag with a freakin' pink bow.

Subtly, Genma sent Aoba a rude gesture as the kid stepped further inside.

Kankurō sure was trying to sell that he didn't feel out of place. He had the confidence, but definitely not the execution. Considering the way his attention kept flying to Genma and Tetsuya and Aoba— and decidedly not at Miho— he didn't know there would be others in the room. Kid was trying _so hard_ to keep that Cool Mask on and he was _failing beautifully._

Miho took mercy on him.

Because of course she did.

"Kankurō, what are you doing in Konoha?" She shifted herself up in bed, that damn vest seeming to swallow her whole. Genma watched, with no small amount of amusement, as the Suna shinobi looked her over with a mixture of concealed worry and, (Genma decoded), rage. Her eyes shifted to the bag. "Why do you have cookies?"

"How'd'ya know they're cookies?"

"Smell."

"Joint mission." The kid slid right past her answer before nodding in Tetsuya's direction. "Utatane."

"Sup? You bring cookies on all your joint missions?"

Genma snorted, but tried to hide it in a cough for the Poor Painted Kid's sake. The puppeteer shot him a scathing look, which might've been kinda impressive if it weren't for the paint. And the whole Embarrassed and Uncomfortable Teenager Routine.

Aoba had way more mercy than Genma, stepping forward to offer the kid a chair.

"Nah, thanks. I'm not staying that long." Kankurō's attention turned back to Miho. "They sure messed you up, didn't they?"

Sensing Tetsuya's hackles rising, Genma watched Miho's expression. She didn't seem in the slightest bit bothered. She almost seemed comfortable, shrugging her shoulders in agreement. To a certain degree, this was probably because of the Images, she knew him in a way. That didn't justify his visit and then….Miho smiled at him.

This was rapport.

They had a rapport.

What in the hell?

_Aoba! What the hell is going on?_ He saw Aoba flinch at his mental yell. His friend glared. The sunglasses covered it, but Genma could sense the heat.

"Does Gaara still want to kill me? I'm easy pickings at the moment."

"Chubs, what?"

Something— like disbelief— flashed over the puppeteer's face before he scoffed and tossed her the bag from less than a foot away, standing almost directly over her. Miho's hand shot up to grab it. Genma withheld a surprised snort. The guy was seriously checking her dexterity and reaction times like that?

"Why not just ask her how she's feeling, huh?" Tetsuya's voice was dry. Obviously, he saw the test for what it was as well. Genma valiantly kept himself from laughing at how casually Tetsuya picked up the kunai from the bedside table, inspecting it idly. Like it wasn't a threat.

Damn it, his kids were so cute.

"Literally no one here cares if you talk like an actual human being."

"You were right. The Aburame won."

What?

"Told you."

What?

"I'll beat him next time."

Miho nodded easily, agreeing with a _foreign shinobi_ that he would beat her own countryman. She quirked her head a bit and made a waffling sign with her hand. "Maybe." Kankurō grinned. _That_ was enough of _that_. Genma repositioned his senbon and took a step forward, drawing the attention of the two.

"Not to interrupt this _moment_ that you two are having, but… Miho has physical therapy in five minutes."

Kankurō nodded, holding both hands up as he stepped away. Genma tried to fend off the urge to toss the kid from the window. Aoba was practically giggling as he leaned against the wall by said window. Maybe Genma was toss him out of it, too. He was good for nothing anyway. "Next time— when you're recovered—we can spar."

Miho met the kid's eyes. "Sure." She pursed her lips. "Maybe next time, I can make it out to Suna. And meet Gaara when he's not trying to kill me."

The Suna puppeteer nodded to Tetsuya, who gave a sarcastic, jaunty little wave back with his kunai in hand.

"Enjoy the cookies."

Tetsuya gasped as the door shut, turning to Miho with a scandalized expression, hand to his heart. "He brought you cookies? Cookies? Are you serious?" Miho laughed, reaching over to grab the bag from her bedside table, which was amass with knickknacks just as obnoxious as Tetsuya's stack of trinkets. "Okay. What the _hell_?"

Genma cringed, watching Miho pull a small cookie from the little green bag.

The damn cookie was shaped like a bear.

_Damn_ it.

"No more cookies from foreign shinobi, Miho."

Miho snorted, shaking her head. She grinned, probably the brightest grin he'd seen since Naruto delivered the blanket and spent an hour regaling Team Five with tales of his recent exploits. A little bit of the apprehension he felt faded away. Maybe the Paint-Faced Brat did okay. "Good luck stopping him, Genma-sensei."

Aoba barked a laugh, covering his face with his hands.

"Excuse me?"

"Whaddya mean 'good luck stopping him'?"

Genma tried to ignore the memories of an older puppeteer, heading up a support division and defeating a reincarnated member of the Akatsuki. If the kid did hone his craft over the years…Genma rolled the senbon between his lips and narrowed his eyes as Miho chomped down on the cookie.

The first solid food she'd eaten since her captivity.

She was probably right, Genma wouldn't stand a chance.

* * *

"Miho."

She turned onto her side, eyes focusing on Tetsuya's face in the dim light. The scars were cast in relief from the lighting behind the beds. She was getting better at ignoring them. Tetsuya was turned onto his side as well, pillow stuffed in his arms. His cheeks were puffy from the odd angle of his head against the pillow. Her own cheeks would be puffy too, if she still had her weight.

"You let Ino see what happened."

She nodded. She wasn't sure why his voice was so quiet, but she answered quietly in return. "I wanted her to see. She needed to see."

He was quiet for a long moment, a contemplative silence. "I'm not goin' back to the Utatane Estate. I…I asked Hayate-sensei and Genma-sensei what they thought." Miho watched the conflict that spread over his face as his eyes tracked away. "Hayate-sensei is gonna help me find an apartment. With two bedrooms."

Miho shifted, holding the pillow tighter.

Her mother had visited that afternoon, looking a bit more harried than usual. She lacked her usual orange eyeliner and lipstick. She delivered food, a whole basket of her favorite baked goods. Now that she'd been taken off the soft foods diet, she could start reintroducing food and gaining her weight back. Her mother had patted her hand, a softness to her eyes that made Miho reach out her arms.

_"Chōji just needs time, sweet bun. He'll come around."_

Miho knew her mother was right.

She knew her mother just wanted her family back together again.

But Miho wasn't entirely sure she could give her mother that. Akimichi Aiko was not a fool. _"Mama…"_

_"So long ago, sweetheart, I realized something was different. I will say the same now as what I said then: It's okay not to be okay."_ Her mother's warm hands had held either side of her face. She remembered when her cheeks were plump enough to squish into her eyes. They didn't. She was too thin. It was always uncomfortable. _"One day, I hope that you and your father and your brother can…overcome…what happened between you. Until then, I won't…I won't force you. It wouldn't mean anything if I did."_

Could she really do this to her mother? Leave the Akimichi Estate? Leave her home? Her gut said she could. She could leave, settle in with Tetsuya in some apartment, gain her weight back and train. She could get ready for what was coming. She could do it and…and she wouldn't have any regrets.

_"I— I— I don't want to go home, Mama."_

Her mother had stared and then, with tears in her eyes, she'd nodded. She could only imagine the heartbreak she just caused. _"No…"_ Miho had flinched. _"No mother wants to hear her baby is moving out."_ Sitting back, the woman blinked back her tears and nodded. _"But a mother always wants what's best for her children."_

Something like determination lit her mother's eyes and she could see it there. The desperation to make something good out of something _bad_.

Her mother was a baker.

She made sweet things out of nothing all day, every day.

_"I have an idea, sweet bun."_

"Tetsuya… What if we…Tetsuya, what if we got a house?"

"A little out of my price range, Chubs. We're genin, remember?"

Miho pushed herself up, looking at him in the dimness. She felt a stir of excitement for the first time since— "Two more roommates, Tetsuya. You think we all could cover a house payment?" She watched Tetsuya sit up, staring at her as if she'd grown another head. _If this was what she did, then she could do it. She could move out and not regret it._ "You and me and Naruto and Sasuke."

"I get Naruto. It's kinda a given in this plan, but Sasuke? Seriously? I expected Lee." His mouth screwed up and then it seemed to hit him. "Miho, he's got his family home. He won't leave that. If he does, it won't be to live with us and Naruto."

The undercurrent of Tetsuya's words was clear.

He thought Sasuke would still leave the village.

"He's alone. He could not be alone."

Tetsuya's mouth opened and shut, eyes becoming sadder. "Miho…He's—"

"He's not gone. He should be gone and he's not. Tetsuya, we can— We can try this. We can _try_. Ask. If he doesn't take it, then at least we offered. At least he had the option. An option when Orochimaru didn't even give him that. Agency does a lot for a person." Miho held Tetsuya's stare, willing him to understand.

"Yeah? What happens when he finds out what happened, huh? You really think he's gonna stick with this village then? Agency won't mean jack to him then."

Miho swallowed roughly, the excitement fading.

Tetsuya pulled the covers from over his legs, lowering one leg to the floor and then the other. The twist of his skin with the scars caught the dim light in reliefs and shadows. He moved across the space between the two beds. Miho moved over automatically, holding the blanket up for him. He laid down next to her, staring up at the ceiling with her in silence. His left hand held her right.

"He has every right to hate the village. He has every right to want revenge." Tetsuya's voice was a whisper. "The last time he loved people, they were killed in a massacre. It's not that easy…" He squeezed her hand, sighing. They lay in silence for a long time, just staring at the darkness.

Sasuke was still in the village. He wasn't quite the same as he had been before. When Miho saw him in Naruto's room, she could sense it. Something seemed off. Something was off. There was something in his eyes. Like his mind was a constantly spinning coin and the world was waiting to see what side landed face up.

_Madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land._

Sasuke wasn't beholden to the whims of the stupid "Curse of Hatred." That was what Senju Tobirama called it, right? No, Miho gripped Tetsuya's hand a bit tighter, Sasuke lost his whole clan. He lost his brother, who massacred his family. The eldest to the youngest. His brother destroyed his mind again through Tsukuyomi.

Even with what she went through...there was no way she could understand. She saw nightmares that never happened. She saw nightmares that did. Her torturer wasn't her own brother.

He was traumatized and grieving and hurting. Miho sighed.

"Genma-sensei wasn't kidding when he said you were in some deep shit."

Miho huffed a laugh, but it sounded a bit wet. She turned her head away, looking toward the light filtering in from under the door. The Akimichi guard had finally been withdrawn by Elder Torifu. That guard was needed for missions, Miho realized. Elder Torifu hadn't explained the sanctions to her when he visited to reassign the guard. Her master just patted her head and sat a pack of protein shakes on the bedside table.

Her father blackmailed the village.

Uchiha Fugaku almost coup'ed the village.

If Danzō were still alive, could her family have suffered a similar fate?

Yes.

Yes, they could have.

They could have been slaughtered. "The Akimichi Downfall," they would have called it. Her mother and father, the Elders, her cousins, her new baby cousin. All of them, dead. Her father blackmailed the village. To stop a civil war, the village would slaughter them like the livestock they raised.

And she was leaving them.

Shivering, she shifted.

"A-A three-bedroom apartment at least?"

"Sure, Chubs. Sure."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for your kind words! I sincerely enjoyed writing this chapter. We're a few chapters away from a time-skip!

Thank you all for your reviews, follows, and favorites! They all light up my day! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm excited for where things go from here! Please leave me your thoughts.


	24. Part I: Leitwortstil

_—National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for— Tornado emergency for western Konohagakure and—_

Above the clouds, the moon was red. Red like blood. Red with three circles and tomoe around it. The light came through the clouds, brighter than anything she'd ever seen. Brighter than the light on her phone. Brighter than sunlight. It swung under and through the clouds, like it was chasing her car over the wet pavement. It pushed through the trees.

_I miss the Earth so much. I miss my wife. It's lonely out in space…_

She couldn't sing anymore. Not like she once could. It'd been a long time since she'd sung anything. Since well before the war started. _I think it's gonna be a long, long time._ There weren't any happy endings. And there was no way to escape this. Her little Jeep could never move fast enough.

Maybe if she got out and ran…

She slammed on the brakes, turning the car to avoid hiding an overturned cart in the road. She recognized the symbol on the wheels. Akimichi Produce. There was no way a civilian could outrun this. Unbuckling, Miho looked over her shoulder to see the light approaching. It was rushing down the mountainside and over the trees like a pyroclastic flow, drawing everything into dreams as it moved. It would arrive to Konoha soon.

She wouldn't make it there in time.

There was no way she could make it in time.

She had to warn them.

Just as she began to push one foot into the dirt, she heard it.

_"Listen to the winds blow, watch the sun rise…"_

Stopping, Miho felt a chill rush down her spine. She recognized that voice. He shouldn't be here. He couldn't—She turned slowly, knowing who she would see. He smiled. His golden eyes caught the light as it approached, seeming to glow. Miho didn't know what to do. She could feel warmth on her shoulders.

His eyes tracked up and over her head.

_"Run in the shadows, damn the dark—"_

Miho scrambled back. Her hand found a kunai, drawing it up with her right arm across her chest. Heart buzzing in fear, she blinked a few times as reality settled around her. It was all a dream or a memory or… He was gone. The light was gone. Swallowing, she shifted forward, lowering her kunai to reach out to Ino. Her friend stared at it for a moment with wide blue eyes before reaching out to grasp her hand, chest heaving to recover her breath.

"It's— It's okay." Miho tried to sound reassuring. It was a stretch. Her voice was shaking. She sat the kunai down in the grass and placed her hand over Ino's quivering fingers "It's okay."

"It's not. It's not okay. Miho, I don't—" Ino shook her head. She looked away and set her jaw, staring at nothing.

Miho watched, knowing her friend well enough to know when to let her alone. Instead, Miho let her eyes move around to where Tetsuya and Lee were moving through katas. Or, at least, they were before Miho's awakened from Ino's technique. They both were frozen in a movement, eyes on her and Ino. Miho tried to smile, but it was made of glass. It shattered the moment Tetsuya broke his stance.

Swallowing, Miho looked to Lee. He held her stare for a long moment before saying something that she couldn't hear. Tetsuya nodded his head, reaching up to readjust his green bandana. He raised a brow as if to ask if she was okay. Miho nodded in return and she watched as both Tetsuya and Lee went back into their katas. They were both facing toward her and Ino now— keeping watch.

It'd been a week since she'd been released from the hospital. Her body was stable enough. Each day, she gained more of her weight back. Bit by bit. She was set at just 3,000 calories a day by Elder Ayumu. It would take months to get back up to 10,000 calories a day. Elder Ayumu was determined to see her back to her normal weight, a healthy weight.

Even if Miho was leaving the Akimichi Estate.

_"Should that matter, sweet bun? No, it should not!"_

Reaching to the inside pocket of her vest, she withdrew some cranberry protein cookies and popped one in her mouth. Weight maintenance, endurance and strength training, and speed training were at the top of her priority list. She'd rebuild her stamina. She'd regain her speed. No, she'd be faster than before.

Lady Hokage had stressed that Miho be mindful of the stress her body had endured. She'd even threatened Genma-sensei with gate duty if Miho or Tetsuya landed in the hospital within the month. She had to be careful of her chakra consumption until she understood just _how_ her system had changed.

"It's not what it should be, Miho. He messed it up."

Sighing— and trying desperately not to see _his face_ in that terrible brightness— Miho nodded. "That was a memory and…and a reality…and an Image. It was a nightmare."

Ino nodded, teeth grinding.

This wasn't new. Ino had been trying for the past three days, accessing different tenketsu to remove whatever damage her cousin inflicted. Nothing had been resolved. Miho was fairly certain that nothing could or would be resolved. Just like her knee, it was a fact she would just have to accept. Pulling in a breath, Miho pushed herself up to stand. Ino mirrored the movement, guilt pulling at her mouth.

"It's—" It wasn't okay. Miho knew she needed to stop saying that. It got Ino riled every time. "We're going to look at an apartment this afternoon. Genma-sensei is coming with us." Miho was perfectly content not to talk about the nightmare if Ino would let her. Ino never let her just ignore it. It wasn't in her nature. "Sensei sounds confident it's _the one_."

"Did he ever access your memories?"

Miho reached down for bō, drawing it up. "No, I don't think so."

"How did he…" She trailed off, looking at Lee and Tetsuya, who were squaring off for a spar. "Don't you _dare_!" Lee's foot caught something and he tripped, barely catching himself before face-planting. Miho trailed behind as Ino charged toward them, finger admonishing. "Lady Tsunade said no sparring until the end of the week! Is it the end of the week yet?"

Tetsuya rolled his eyes toward the sky. "Just because you're—" Her teammate didn't finish his thought, snapping his mouth shut at Ino's glare. "Freakin'_ fine_. Green Machine, laps?"

"Yosh! Laps it is, my friend!" Lee turned to Miho, hand fisted before him. "Shall you accompany us, Sweet Sunflower? If you cannot run fifty laps, I will carry you for three hundred! No! Four hundred! FIVE HUNDRED LAPS!" Rock Lee's smile was so large and bright and warm that Miho found herself nodding, even as Ino scoffed and crossed her arms. "Ever youthful, Miho!"

Rolling her eyes, Ino turned on her heel. "Whatever. I've got lunch with Asuma-sensei and the goofs anyway." Ino paused for a moment, looking back over her shoulder. Miho met her eyes.

She knew. She knew she couldn't avoid it forever.

She knew it would take more effort, more work, to sort out the kaleidoscope that was her head.

Normalcy was something she craved though. Something she craved like her mother's yellow cake or takoyaki.

She was hungry for the everyday.

"_Don't_ strain yourself, Miho. I mean it." Ino's eyes cut over to Rock. Miho huffed a laugh, lifting an arm up to stretch. Tetsuya was muttering under his breath. "Don't overwork her, you hooligan." Rock Lee saluted dramatically. "Geez, the people I'm friends with…"

"Fifty laps! Let's go!" Rock Lee put out a hand. Miho followed the tradition, slinging her bō onto her back. Tetsuya watched, still finishing his stretches. Miho's hand fell on Lee's and he grinned. "Let's get it!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's get it!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's get it!

"Yeah!"

"Start!"

Even though her body was still recovering, still sore and weak, Miho felt euphoric as she took off. (_Euphoria!_) Her knee changed her gait into a strange, unsteady movement. It'd been healed as much as was possible, but even the Hokage had frowned at the way it restructured. The skin was tight, and she felt it move differently inside the joint, but Miho was running.

It was an uneven run.

It was a different run.

But she was _running._

Physical therapy may never get it to move the same again.

Rock didn't take them on any leaping or jumping courses. Just a standard run around the village.

It felt like she was flying though.

"So, the Suna Trio is leaving today. Shikamaru told me." Tetsuya slowed down to run by her side, breaths heavy. Miho rolled her eyes at him. He and Genma-sensei had still not let it go. Aoba-sensei had warned her. One visit by a friend and suddenly—"So…you're not seeing Puppet Boy off?"

"You can do way better than 'Puppet Boy.' Put some effort in at least.'" Miho laughed a bit, trying not to grimace when her knee buckled a bit more than it should. She felt a click in the joint. If Tetsuya saw it, he didn't say anything. "C'mon, Stringbean, try harder."

"Puppeteer of Hearts. Knot a Chance. No Strings Attached. String Cheese."

Miho staggered to a stop, hands on her knees and tears in her eyes. "String Cheese!" She laughed, dragging fingers under her eyes to mop up the tears. Tetsuya had stopped ahead of her, looking mighty proud of himself. His hands rested on his hips and his chin was raised. Beyond him, Rock paused and looked back, a big smile on his face. Miho felt giggles hit her again. It built into another uncontrollable laugh. "String Cheese! Oh man."

She moved forward, falling to a run again. She kept laughing, even a lap later. Tetsuya was preening like a peacock, obviously pleased as punch by his own cleverness. Rock was joyful, jumping up to the buildings above them turning cartwheels overhead.

After _seventy-five_ laps, she called it quits with Tetsuya. Rock Lee decided to go on with his three hundred laps before he was due to meet his team for afternoon practice. He'd leaped down from the building nearest to her, happily drawing her up into a hug.

He was taller than her now, which was_ weird_.

She'd always been his height.

"Wait for it, Miho. You will get there. You will surpass yourself!"

She nodded into his shoulder and pushed him off with a grin when he bounded away, proclaiming that "youth shall never die!" He disappeared into the distance. Gai-sensei's team was in for it today. With Rock Lee's mood, he'd surpass each one of them in training. Even Gai-sensei would probably get tired. Gluten Free might actually walk away, his pride be damned.

Miho was exhausted.

Absolutely and utterly.

Still, she felt_ good_.

For the first time in a long, long time, she felt good.

Genma-sensei bought her six sticks of takoyaki when she arrived the Market Street with Tetsuya an hour later. It seemed that each team was meeting. Team Ten was training after lunch, she knew. Team Seven was resting after a successful in-village mission. There was also, apparently, some sort of issue with that mission. Miho hadn't yet gotten the run-down from Naruto. Gai-sensei's team was training as well. Miho fought off the random grief that struck her.

She'd never train with Koji again.

"I think this is the winner, kids." Genma-sensei might've noticed her expression, even with his back to her. Tetsuya grabbed her hand and directed a stick toward his mouth, stealing a piece off the end. Miho made to hand him the whole stick, but he waved her off. "It's a relatively safe part of town with good prices." He looked back at them and winked, pulling the senbon from his mouth. "And it's a four-bedroom."

"It's a what?" Tetsuya yelped. "Genma-sensei! You said we could afford this place!"

"You can." Their teacher shrugged. "I'm a shinobi, not a liar."

Miho recognized the area from when she was a little girl and accompanied her father on business in the village. There was an Akimichi Farmer's Market nearby, owned by one of her cousins. To the east was the Uchiha Compound and to the west was Ramen Ichiraku. To the north, the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka Estates. Miho stopped, turning toward the south. Wait.

"Yeah, yeah, Miho. I'm a jōnin, okay?" She turned to her teacher, who was feigning a very put-upon expression. "Just deal with it."

To the south was Genma-sensei's apartment.

"Is it a winner because it's nice or… because it's perfectly triangulated and defensible, Boss Man?" Tetsuya drawled, folding both arms behind his head. Considering where it was located, and the fact that their teacher was in ANBU, it was definitely both. Genma-sensei always put them first— Miho knew that without a doubt. He would want them somewhere safe.

Sans an actual response, Genma-sensei cut Tetsuya a look.

Miho laughed, shaking her head. She knew what was coming.

"Green's not your color, brat."

Tetsuya rolled his eyes. "Oh? C'mon, old man. It's the same thing every time."

"_Old man_?"

Miho interceded at her teacher's dangerous tone. "Is that it?"

The building was cute. The first two floors had well-tended porches, with flowers set upon the iron railing. Miho raised a hand to block the sun, looking up to the vacant third floor balcony. It had a place to hang laundry. Genma-sensei held the door open to a breezeway entrance and a set of stairs toward the back. The back of the breezeway opened up into a shared courtyard between the back of the building and the business on the next road over. There was a small plot of untended land and targets on the chipped brick wall.

"Kunai." Tetsuya observed. "This is a shinobi complex."

Genma-sensei snorted. "As if I'd let the two of you and your roomies end up in a civilian establishment. _C'mon, brat_."

Civilian apartments rarely accepted shinobi tenants. When they did, it was with higher insurance premiums and less access to training facilities. Civilian apartments also limited the amount of modification could be made to a space. Shinobi apartments had lower rents by the standard. Miho followed their teacher up to the third floor, where he approached #305.

"Genma-sensei, how did you know about this place exactly?"

"Three-oh-five? What in the coincidence?" Tetsuya tapped the number.

Their teacher grimaced a bit, shifting the senbon in his mouth to the other side of his lips. Miho saw that his eyes were sad. She stepped through, already loving the way the light filtered in through the balcony window doors.

"A friend of mine's executor decided to put it up on the market." Executor. Miho stopped, turning to Genma-sensei, who was parsing through the four bedrooms around the space, nodding as he went. She could see the way he scanned the place for traps and escape paths. "It's already privacy-sealed. Just needs chakra activation. It's a multivariable seal. You've got at least fifteen escape routes from the main space alone." He walked over to a built-in bookcase.

Tetsuya turned and Miho met his eyes.

This wasn't just a shinobi's apartment. It was a senior shinobi's apartment.

"Weapons storage in each room with main storage here." Genma-sensei pulled down on a lone book resting on the shelf. The bookcase folded down. Storage space was cleverly concealed. Miho felt a whir of excitement in her chest. "Tetsuya, come here."

Her teammate followed their teacher into a room to the left of the bookshelf. Meanwhile, Miho moved to the kitchen, running a hand along the countertop.

When she gained her weight back, as she grew larger, she would need space to move. The other apartments had been eliminated because the spaces were too small. She would never be able to cook with others in those other kitchens. They weren't built with someone her size in mind. This one though…This one seemed like it was made for someone larger. There was even a large pantry to the side and a ton of storage.

"The room's got a sword rack." Tetsuya informed her, looking positively ecstatic.

"Genma-sensei… Can I ask?" Miho looked at him over the counter as he and Tetsuya approached. Tetsuya crossed over to her side of the peninsula, leaning on it.

"His name was Akimichi Dōtō. He was a good man. A good friend of your father's— I mean Keisuke-senpai's— and Lord Fourth's."

"I've— I've never heard of him."

Genma-sensei nodded, twirling the senbon a bit between his teeth. "Yeah. You wouldn't have. See, Lord Dōtō was a powerful Akimichi figure back in the day, in the Third War. He was second only to your father, to Chōza. His brother was really powerful too, one of the ANBU Elite. They were some of the best." Miho gripped the counter to steady herself. By her teacher's tone, this story would not have a good ending. "Trained by Lord Torifu himself. He was on a team during the war…"

Miho held her breath.

"… with Inuzuka Gaku, Okuda Keisuke, and Namikaze Minato"

"My father? He was my father's teammate?"

Genma-sensei nodded, smiling a bit around his senbon. "During the war, yeah. The four of them were a trip. Scary as all hell. Went up against some pretty incredible odds. They were usually on the front lines, scaring the shit out of enemies."

"Hell yeah." Tetsuya crowed. "They sound like badasses."

Genma-sensei snorted. His tone was a bit wistful. "Yeah, they were."

"After the Fourth Hokage died and his brother and Keisuke-senpai died in defense of the Fourth, Dōtō joined ANBU. Gaku joined too. They lived here. Gaku-senpai died in a mission about five years ago. Dōtō was the last of his team left alive. He died in the Invasion."

Miho felt like some of her strength left her. Her knees buckled a bit beneath her, but she caught herself on the counter. Neither Tetsuya nor Genma-sensei moved to help, simply allowing her to feel whatever she felt.

"Teams often lived together during the war, sensei. They— They needed to be ready—"

"At a moment's notice. Yeah."

Genma-sensei held her stare. Four bedrooms. Miho's mouth opened and closed, looking over to where Tetsuya stood wide-eyed. They were in her father's old apartment. The apartment where Namikaze Minato and his team once lived. Where her father once lived. The excitement was met with the cold realization that it was left empty because every member of that team…was gone.

"It's up to you two. Naruto will take you up on your offer. The Uchiha is another story. If he doesn't take the offer, then you have a spare bedroom for anyone who needs it to crash." Genma-sensei explained. He waved his hand idly. "Split three ways, the rent is affordable on a genin salary. It'd be better with four though. The executor will remain anonymous."

"They're in ANBU." Tetsuya commented, pointing out the obvious. Genma-sensei sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "That ANBU member has a place that's not this place, right?" Miho smiled a bit, looking down at her hands, loosening their hold on the counter. Her teammate was such a caring person. She was proud of him. "Like— That doesn't sound stupid, does it?"

Their teacher's smile was warm when he looked back to them. "Nah. You've got a good heart, Tetsuya. The executor has a place of their own. I mentioned my kids were looking. They put this place forward. Seemed right." Miho knew that several of their teacher's friends were also in ANBU, including Aoba-sensei and Hayate-sensei. "You two talk about it. I'll meet you at Ramen Ichiraku in ten."

Ten minutes later, Miho and Tetsuya eased themselves onto the two stools to their teacher's left. Ayame quickly took their orders while Genma-sensei fiddled with the senbon in his teeth. Miho could tell that he was waiting on bated breath. Despite the front that their teacher liked to put on, he had been so, so concerned over the past weeks. It was largely Genma-sensei that had dissuaded them from the first few apartments— too expensive, too dangerous, too open, too small, too far. She knew he wanted it to be a perfect first step. After all, he was the one encouraging them from the first moment he heard of the plan.

"So?"

"We'll take it."

Genma-sensei nodded, smirking around the needle. "Good 'cause, funnily enough, I booked another genin team to help you get moved in this weekend."

Miho's mouth dropped open and Tetsuya squawked. "Free will is a thing, you know!"

Genma-sensei laughed, batting away Tetsuya's pointing finger. Miho felt herself smile, too, seeing how alive their teacher looked after so long. His eyes were shining again. They weren't as dark and sad and cynical. She had wondered, when she first woke to find Koji gone and Tetsuya injured, if Genma-sensei would recover from it all. Their teacher was a resilient man.

Between his missions, he was with them. Taking them to physical therapy, coming up with training regimens, helping them to find stable ground after.

_After._

He could overcome anything.

"Thank you, Genma-sensei."

He turned to look at her, taking the senbon from his mouth.

"For everything. It's…not been easy. None of it. Thank you for…everything you do for us."

Miho raised a hand and set it on Tetsuya's shoulder. Her teammate nodded. "We're lucky you're our teacher, Genma-sensei." With a shift in tone, he crossed his arms and leaned forward conspiratorially. "You ask me, you're the best jōnin sensei out there." Miho watched a slow smile spread on their teacher's face until it was a full-blown beam.

It was rare for his smile to be so genuine. His smiles almost always had a sarcastic tilt, some sort of caustic humor. This one was sincere. He looked down at the counter, nodding as his smile faded away.

"Gimme a break! That guy's gotta be kidding! Seriously!"

Miho recognized the voice, turning to see Naruto throw the curtains open. His one-track mind guided him straight to the counter while Iruka-sensei quietly entered after him, eyes falling on Genma-sensei first and then tracking over to Tetsuya and Miho. Miho lifted a hand in a wave.

"Yo, Iruka-sen— Miho!"

Naruto spun off of his stool, running over to throw his arms around her waist. Miho grinned, returning the hug. Her friend was practically vibrating. Before she could say anything, he jumped back and pointed beyond the curtains.

"That damn Pervy Sage left me hanging and went off on some mission and didn't give me anything to do to work on my training! Miho, he's useless! It's— It's— He's a scam!"

Miho looked over to Iruka-sensei's patient stare. The man turned to place and order before settling down next to Genma-sensei. His shoulders were rounded and weary. Just how long had Naruto been ranting to him? Genma-sensei clapped him on the back, smirking. Tetsuya raised both hands, turning back around.

"Naruto, you remember what my mother said about patience?"

Naruto puffed up, chest filled with a righteous sort of indignation. Miho just stared at him, waiting for that swell of irritation to pass. Sure enough, a moment later, he deflated a bit. "Patience and fortitude conquer all things." He parroted it, like a kunai was pressed to his back. "But! But! Miho, he just _dropped me_!"

Nodding, Miho shifted off her stool and sat a hand on his shoulder. "He shouldn't have done that. That was wrong of him. Hearing the stories, he probably did it in a kinda underhanded way. A good teacher wouldn't do that. Still, we don't know why he had to take off on a mission. Did he say?"

"Lord Jiraiya has a very specific skillset." Genma-sensei commented, turning around on his stool. Naruto deflated even more. She knew that Naruto really respected Genma-sensei. It was so clear in the way he deferred to the man every now and again. She knew Kakashi-sensei hadn't yet built up that kind of rapport. "If he got called for a mission, Naruto, it's an important one that Lady Tsunade needed a specialist for."

Naruto's eyes flashed. "Damn! So, it's Old Lady Tsunade's fault, huh?" Miho could see the wheels turning in his head. One arm lifted and his fisted that hand._ Uh oh_. "I'm gonna go—"

Miho caught Tetsuya's eye, who'd turned a bit to watch the show. In an instant, an agreement was met. "Please don't go yell at the Hokage. We actually wanted to talk to you about something. I was gonna come to your apartment tonight, but— Well, we just found the right place and…"

Naruto was calming, hands lowering back to his sides. Miho smiled.

She heard Iruka-sensei mutter something and Genma-sensei snorted, shaking his head.

"Naruto, me and Tetsuya are moving into an apartment not too far away from here. We wanted to see if you'd like to be our roommate."

"You're…You're leaving the Akimichi?"

Anticipating the question and actually hearing it aloud were two different things. She could feel Tetsuya shift by her side while she saw Iruka-sensei turn in her peripheral vision. "I'm leaving the clan estate. Not the clan."

"Why?"

Miho met his eyes. "Right now, our relationships aren't healthy. And I don't think they can be healthy while I still live there. Moving out will give us time to heal. Me and Pa…Me and Chōji…We're not really good at the moment. I can...I can tell you more, if you want."

Naruto's mouth opened and she could tell that he wanted to argue. He desperately wanted to argue, to tell her to stay, to make sure she didn't leave her family. After all, she was lucky to have one. She saw something cross over his eyes before his mouth closed and he nodded. His normally bright blue eyes seemed darker.

"I would have moved out eventually. Now is just the best time. And my mother is in full support of it. Heck, even the Elders are in support of it."

Her father, however, hadn't said a word about it. Neither had her brother.

Neither told her to stay.

"And you want me to…live with you?"

His wide blue eyes tracked away from her to Tetsuya.

Tetsuya, who used to bully him.

Tetsuya, who had called him "monster."

She turned and watched Tetsuya hold out his right hand, scars twisting his face as he grinned. "You gotta pay your end of the rent, but yeah." He shrugged, scratching the back of his head as he sent Miho a wink. "You're into plants, right? The room Miho thought should be yours has a small balcony. Good for plants."

Naruto was still, quiet. "Me?"

Tetsuya lowered his hand, looking both sad and bemused. Like he couldn't believe Naruto was asking the question. Miho smiled, stepping forward to set a hand on Naruto's shoulder. She lowered her head a bit so she could look him in the eyes. There was still a shred of doubt there. He almost seemed ashamed of it, of that _doubt_. He averted his gaze down and over, toward where Iruka-sensei's feet shifted around.

Miho knew things were different now. Naruto didn't feel as unloved or as uncherished as he'd been in that other world. His parents had wanted him. He had support structures that cared for him. Miho, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Lee...Her father and mother...He had food and guidance and… Even if his team was still fraught, Naruto was still…

_"Then, you showed up and I got to see what a real family was like, ya know?"_

Every day though, he returned to the same isolating apartment.

To an empty home.

After each day, good or bad, he returned to being alone.

"You, Naruto."

After a moment, Naruto lifted his eyes and met hers. A slow grin came over his face before it was brighter than that light her mind had been running from that morning. He flew forward and she felt Tetsuya at her back, making sure she didn't fall over from the weight. She couldn't support that kind of strain yet. Naruto shifted, throwing his other arm around Tetsuya, who squawked. Miho laughed, patting Naruto's head.

"Seriously? Seriously-seriously? This is awesome! I'll be the best roommate! I'll be an awesome roommate! Believe it!"

"Careful! Careful!" Iruka-sensei jumped up to grab them before they toppled out into the street. "Naruto, Miho and Tetsuya are still recovering! They just got out of the hospital! Be careful!"

Genma-sensei waved him off. "They can handle it. Miho's been handling Naruto for years."

Old Man Ichiraku sat bowls in front of the three open seats, returning to finish the teachers' bowls. Miho noticed that one was larger than the others. Naruto whooped, throwing himself into the chair between the large bowl and Iruka-sensei. Tetsuya scoffed, throwing her a tempered look. He took the seat on the other side of the largest bowl.

Smiling, Miho sat and dug into the large pork ramen. Her roommates sat on either side.

* * *

Genma looked up, watching the hawk that circled overhead in three careful loops. Sighing, he looked over to where the kids sat on the bench. Miho and Tetsuya were quietly munching on the mochi he'd grabbed them from a nearby cart. Naruto was standing, explaining his most recent mission and how it went FUBAR. FUBAR was on-brand for Team Seven, so Genma, of course, had already heard the details through the grapevine. The chūnin were close to starting a pool.

Team Seven—sans Kakashi— had been given an in-village escort mission. Which, of course, resulted in some sort of drama. Orochimaru had made some half-baked bid or the Uchiha, with significantly less planning and even less execution. Naruto and the Uchiha summarily _ended_ the attacker.

Their record was growing and a pattern was emerging. Genma saw it as an excellent opportunity to make some money. After all, Miho would eventually gain her appetite back. Tetsuya was growing like a weed. They were both was going to hit puberty soon. His kids were growing up. He needed to afford snacks.

The hawk flew off— toward its next victim.

No rest for the weary, it seemed.

"I've been summoned."

The kids turned to him. Naruto stopped talking.

"Looks high-level. Until you hear from me, normal procedures. Maybe go talk to the Uchiha. See if he wants to take the fourth room."

He saw Tetsuya's jaw drop. Miho laughed, shaking her head. With a wink, Genma took off.

In the autumn, night seemed to fall fast and early in Konoha. The sun was almost set in the few minutes it took for him to reach the tower. When he arrived to the Hokage's office, Kurenai and Asuma were there as well. The two cut him grim glances. Raising a hand in greeting, he bowed to the Hokage.

"Looks like a party."

"Seems your Oracle Student didn't catch everything."

That brought him up short as he took the folder held out to him by Kurenai. He opened it, scanning the contents.

"You were on the retrieval team for the Scroll of Sealing. You were on-hand for the incident. Describe it."

Rolling the senbon to one side of his mouth, he shut the folder and handed it back. "We were on a Level Two alert. I was patrolling the north forest. I ran into Akimichi Miho. She was searching for Uzumaki Naruto. She said that Mizuki told Naruto to steal the scroll. To convince the Hokage he was worthy."

Lady Hokage scoffed. "Your girl is in the middle of everything."

Genma rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it." He shifted, pushing the hair out of his face. "Mizuki and Iruka were battling when I arrived. He told Naruto about the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. I poisoned him. Naruto finished him off. The Scroll of Sealing was returned. Mizuki was imprisoned."

The woman held his stare for a long moment before sighing. "The possibility has arisen that a bigger mastermind was behind Mizuki's actions." She gestured to the paper that Asuma was holding. "That's a clue. It was found on Mizuki when he was incarcerated in the Maximum Security Facility. At the time, nobody thought of it as anything more than a doodle."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Genma took the piece of paper.

Nothing ever was that simple.

Of course it wasn't a doodle. What was the Third thinking?

"Then what is it, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune questioned.

Genma didn't like where this was going. Knowing what he knew, it was likely the Third passed it off as nothing, recognizing the handwriting. When Genma caught Asuma's eye, he knew that his friend saw it as well. There was a disappointed tilt to Asuma's lips.

"I'm not sure exactly _what_ it is, but it has the same handwriting as documents recovered from one of Orochimaru's labs…where he was conducting human experiments."

_Well, shit._

"A note in Orochimaru's handwriting found on Mizuki." Kurenai summarized.

Lady Tsunade waved a hand, eyes thoughtful. "It's not like a chūnin alone could do much with the Scroll of Sealing. It would only make sense if Orochimaru were pulling the strings from behind." She shifted, looking up. "Genma, Asuma, Kurenai. I want you to go to the Maximum Security Facility and interrogate Mizuki. We need to know just how deep Orochimaru's influence went or goes."

It wasn't a jōnin's place to question the Hokage. Still, Genma paused. Asuma and Kurenai nodded without hesitation, taking off. "Lady Hokage, the Images show Orochimaru was in league with Danzō. If that's the case, then it is possible…"

"That Mizuki was influenced by Danzō who was working with Orochimaru? Yes. That is possible. Hell, it's likely. We need to know how deep the cancer has spread." The Hokage nodded, glancing to Shizune. "I've heard rumors that your two genin are relocating out of their clan estates. I've also heard that they're inviting Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke to live with them."

Genma nodded. "I figured Cat would report back on that."

The woman sat back. "In only a month's time, they will be out two roommates." She smiled a bit. Genma wondered why she looked so amused. A genin was entering ANBU at only thirteen in 'peacetime.' Naruto was still being sent with Jiraiya while the village planned for Akatsuki. There wasn't much to be amused about. "As soon as your two kids hit chūnin…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "A discussion for another time. Go."

* * *

Miho shifted, trying not to feel unsettled by Uchiha Sasuke's stare. Tetsuya and Naruto were at Naruto's apartment, figuring out what needed to be packed and what didn't. Miho had offered to talk to Sasuke, thinking it best that he wasn't overwhelmed or pressured into the decision. Naruto had immediately puffed up for an argument.

_"It's his decision, Naruto. Honestly, do you know anything about how he's been living since…since the massacre?"_

Naruto had clamped down his lips, wringing his hands. _"I—I guess I—"_

_"It's okay. I just…I don't want him to—"_

"_Nah, Miho, I'm…I'm sorry. You should go. That jerk should have…a home."_

Naruto had thrown his arms around her again before dragging Tetsuya with him down the street. Miho had suggested they "bond." She hadn't necessarily meant _that evening_ in particular. Naruto, of course, was never one to put things off. "_C'mon, 'Suya! Let's start packing!_" Tetsuya definitely glared at her as he was manhandled away. She had waved with the sweetest smile she could manage. Like sugar melting off a sweet bun.

"I know that you don't know me well."

"Naruto talks about you all the time. It's annoying." Sasuke responded, stepping out of his apartment to shut the door. Miho moved back, giving him space. His head jerked to the right and she followed him to an adjacent training ground. Miho wasn't a fool. The fact that he even gave her the time of day was something.

She wondered if he knew he likely had an ANBU tail?

Sasuke was a lot of things. A fool was not one of them.

His apartment was on the edge of the abandoned Uchiha District. It overlooked the empty district and the Uchiha crest above the gate. Vaguely, she wondered if he could see his home from the balcony. It was in constant sight of the yellow tape and cones that blocked the district from access. Miho had the sickening realization that she should've acted so long ago.

_He has no one to cook for him._

It'd been so long since it happened and she'd never…

She couldn't even bring herself to approach him. And she'd known that he'd been suffering.

She'd been given time to think over her actions.

In a place with few distractions.

In a place with too much time.

In different realities and fake memories.

"You're not _overly fond_ of me, but you're seeking me out. Why?"

That brought Miho up short. He— She watched as he looked up at the night sky. At the very least, he was willing to hear her out. And that, she realized, was one of his defining traits. Despite seeming otherwise, he _did_ listen. He was perceptive. In this version of reality, he was traumatized and so, so very close to the edge. Still, the Cursed Seal hadn't warped his mind. He hadn't been plunged into darkness yet.

He still had a chance.

His family never had that.

Itachi never had that.

The Sasuke in the Images didn't have that.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush." He raised a brow in return, twisting a bit to meet her eyes. "Tetsuya, Naruto, and I are moving into an apartment not too far from here. We wanted to see if you'd be interested in moving in with us."

"No."

Miho tried not to let her heart beat too fast. The tone of that 'no' was cold, cutting. She held his stare for a long moment, trying to figure it out.

"I'm not living with you and the Idiot."

She didn't fist her hand, but _damn_ if she didn't want to.

Damn if she didn't want to swing her staff at his face.

She'd never manage it. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

Power was a motivator for Sasuke. One of the only reasons he might choose to stay in the village would be the opportunity to gain power. The Hokage likely made an offer that Sasuke thought rivaled that of Orochimaru. He didn't have the Cursed Seal, which affected his thinking in the Images. Regardless, each decision that Sasuke made connected to one thing: Killing Itachi.

Miho had to acknowledge: he had every right to want to end his brother. Itachi massacred his family and then tortured him. Regardless of what pressures created those circumstances, Sasuke was unaware of them. He knew that power was the one thing that could define terms of his next engagement with Itachi. So that he wasn't hurt. So that he could have some control So that he could get revenge.

Could she really fault him for that?

Did he see Naruto as a weakness? Did he see anyone as a weakness?

Then why was he in Naruto's hospital room?

Why was he still around?

Miho shrugged. The fur of her collar brushed her neck. "I wanted to extend the offer. It can give you strength when you come home _to_ something. _To a community_." Miho rolled her shoulders back and moved toward the exit. "I'm not gonna pressure you." Her back was to him as she walked away, which she realized was a power move in and of itself. Or a message. "And don't call Naruto 'Idiot.' My _not overly fond_ will turn to _strongly dislike_."

She noticed the way his eyes lingered on her leg as she passed him. She vaguely wondered if he thought she was weak. After all, she was still too-thin and her leg was obviously damaged.

"Why waste your time asking me?"

Miho paused in the archway, looking back to see Sasuke halfway between the streetlight and the darkness beyond it. She wondered vaguely if this world dealt in visual metaphors too.

A bright flash of light overtook her vision for a moment and she blinked, shaking her head. It disappeared. If the actions confused Sasuke, he said nothing.

"It wasn't a waste of time." Miho pursed her lips for a moment before sighing, pulling a sleeve of cookies from her pocket. His eyes followed the movement. She ate five on a handful. She spoke around the food. "We needed a fourth roommate. You're the only one outside of Naruto that lives alone. We wanted to _offer_." Sealing off the cookies in the beeswax bag, Miho tossed it over her shoulder.

She heard him catch it.

"Please remember to eat. You can't gain any strength back if you don't eat."

"Back?"

Narrowing her eyes, she half-wondered if he actually didn't want her to leave. "You're probably the strongest among us, Sasuke, but you're not eating. Probably protein and vitamin deficient." At his stare, she adjusted her stance. "I'm an _Akimichi_, Uchiha. We know when someone's malnourished." She gestured to the cookies. "They're protein-enriched. Let me know if you ever want more."

He was watching as she walked away, but Miho knew that it was better to just let things lie. Pushing him would only result in Sasuke pushing back.

She was about halfway down the street when a siren sounded.

Miho stopped.

Beep. Beep.

A Level Two? For what?

Her heart jumped into her throat.

Danzō was destroyed. The Akatsuki couldn't be attacking—it was too early. Still she saw an explosion in her mind. No, no, it wasn't that. There was no reason that there would be a Level Two alert. Her stomach turned as she watched a few stragglers on the streets hurry inside. She didn't move. Genma-sensei had been called away for a mission. Her family— She didn't remember anything hap—

Horrible visions filled her mind.

Different realities. Things she'd seen.

Blood over the Akimichi symbol.

The Akimichi Downfall.

_"It doesn't have to be like this, Miho."_

The shattering.

It wasn't five beeps. Not like the last time. It was two.

Two. Level Two.

It couldn't be-

"Hey." Sasuke was _there_. "Come on."

Miho jerked herself out of the stunned trance, following him inside his apartment. She immediately made her way to the balcony windows, not paying attention to Sasuke's uncomfortable shifting. She vaguely wondered when the last time was that someone entered his apartment by invitation. She drew the bō from her back, setting the end on the edge of his carpet. If it were daylight, she might've been able to see the Akimichi Estate from Sasuke's windows, far to the east. In the darkness, she couldn't see that far.

"A Level Two at this time of night. It's gotta be something big. Most people wouldn't even be home yet and they wouldn't want to cause a panic." Anxiety tore through her, feeling like indigestion as it bubbled under her shoulder blades. "The last Level Two was last year—"

Last year, when Mizuki tricked Naruto.

Last year, when Mizuki almost killed Iruka-sensei.

Miho's hand rose up to rest on her left shoulder.

Naruto. Tetsuya. Chōji, Ino, and Shikamaru. Her family...

"Sasuke, sorry." Reaching her right hand up, Miho bit the skin on her hand, pushing chakra into it as she pushed her hand into the floor. Golden smoke swirled about for a moment before a cub bounded out of it. Miho felt the pull on her chakra, felt it ebb and flow within her like a pebble thrown onto a still lake. She felt unbalaced and sank down to sit. Her vision swam. The Hokage warned her against using her chakra. With the way her body felt, she could see why. "Fuwa."

"Lady Miho! You look so much better. So much better, Lady Miho! I was so afraid when I found you, and Lord Father told me not to be afraid. You are of Center Mountain now, cub-sister! I'm so happy to see you."

Her back was to the window, but she had confidence that Sasuke would be fast enough to cover her, if anything happened. Nevermind the ANBU guard. She could sense Sasuke watching the interaction. "It's good to see you, too, Fuwa. I have a request."

"Anything, Lady Miho!"

"My teammate, my brother, and my mother have the Bear Seals. Please go to them, make sure they're safe, and report back."

"Lord Tetsuya and Lord Chōji, right? And Lady Aiko, right? Right, Lady Miho?" Miho smiled, nodding to the young cub. "I will do this, Lady Miho! I will do this and I will be back soon." With a salute, the cub disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Resting her hands on her haunches, Miho took a deep breath. Her eyes closed with it, trying to steady herself in the onslaught. She could feel Sasuke watching, observing. With a sigh, her eyes opened and she met his.

"Well. You hungry? Do you have food? I can cook."

* * *

A body fell to the forest floor. Aoba sighed and released the half-rat sign, allowing the crows to disperse. Beside him, Gai slammed another missing-nin into the ground, leaving a crater in the grass. It was overkill, but who was Aoba to call Gai on it? He was probably worried, after all.

"Any word on Genma, Asuma, and Kurenai?"

"Still unconscious." Takajō Torikai shook his head. "Seems wild that even badasses like them can get taken out by sheer numbers."

"The prisoners used the guards as shields. If any one of the three wanted to kill Konoha shinobi, they could've taken out the prisoners." Aoba was already feeling exhausted and they'd only found seven of the two hundred and seventeen escaped prisoners. "Genma alone could've taken them all out with his Poison Rain technique."

Gai nodded. "Our colleagues attempted to protect life, but were overwhelmed in doing so." He could hear the conflict in his friend's tone. "Let us keep searching. We have to find Mizuki. Let's go."

Aoba jumped into the trees, following Gai's lead.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I very much appreciate the favorites and follows! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave your thoughts. We've got another chapter or so of Part I. Then, in 2020, it's on to Part II! Thank you for reading!


	25. Part I: Affect

The sizzling was a small comfort. Familiar. Miho found smells and the sound of food cooking to be one of the greatest comforts in the world. Just minutes before, there'd been _nothing_. A bunch of ingredients with no connection. Then, she cut the onion and sautéed it, cooked the egg, added the soy sauce, and stirred. Every now and again, she jolted the pan so the rice wouldn't burn. All of that helped her forget.

For a while anyway.

Of course, Sasuke was never one to let things lie. "You have the Bear Contract?"

Miho nodded, giving the rice one final stir before turning off the burner. "Plates?"

"Here." Sasuke stepped up and Miho moved away, letting him have control of his kitchen again.

She wondered for a moment if he realized she gained strength from cooking. It kept her anxiety in check. The worry from the Level Two and her instincts saying _something was wrong_. And the rippling sense that her chakra was _off_. Like it was roiling.

"I inherited it— the contract." Miho handed him the first plate before shoveling some onto her own. Then, she decided to take a risk. "It's been in the Okuda Clan for nearly a millennia."

"Okuda?"

Miho nodded, taking the proffered plate. Sasuke eyed her, still trying to affect disinterest. He was doing a poor job of it. Sasuke had small tells. They were the same from childhood. Just the smallest flicker of interest or the slightest tilt of his head. "I'm adopted. My biological father was Okuda Keisuke and my biological mother was Akimichi Chisato. My Pa is biologically my uncle." She fell into chair at the table, waiting for him to sit before digging into the meal.

It'd only been two hours since she'd last eaten, but she was _so hungry_.

"You're not an Akimichi?"

As soon as he sat, Miho clapped her hands together. "Thank you for the food!" He stared at her, obviously not pleased with her avoidance. Miho shoveled the rice into her mouth and idly smiled around it.

Her brother ate when he was nervous. Most of her clan did. It was an Akimichi teaching. Imagine that the thing you fear is the food you eat. Consume it. Let it give you strength. Let it become energy that fuels you. Food has the power to sustain. Food has the power to give you power. Miho swallowed and looked Sasuke in the eyes.

"I'm an Akimichi. But I'm also an Okuda."

He didn't say anything, eating slowly and carefully. She wondered how long it'd been since he'd had a homecooked meal. He clearly cooked for himself— the frying pan seemed well-used. Swallowing, Miho sighed. She didn't want to disturb him by talking. They ate in silence. Miho's stomach gurled every so often and her body ached. It ached and her chest fluttered. And she never should have—

"I've heard of the Okuda."

Miho's head shot up, rice getting caught in her throat as she was mid-swallow. Feeling the pressure build, Miho turned and coughed into her hand, trying not to gasp rice into her lungs. After a moment, she swallowed again and turned back to Sasuke, whose expression was civil.

_Civil as an orange._

"You've— You've heard of them?"

His eyes narrowed and Miho thought his lip curled a bit as he took another bite of rice. Sasuke rolled his eyes when she didn't return to her food. "If you're an Okuda, shouldn't you know?"

"I only know what's in scrolls. I don't— I don't discuss it much."

Sasuke rolled his shoulders and Miho could tell that he was weighing his options. If he told her, he was committed to a conversation. If he didn't, she'd stare at him until he relented. Miho could tell the pressure was building and finally forced herself to look away. Thankfully, a distraction came in a puff of smoke. Miho jumped from her chair.

"Lady Miho! Lady Miho!" A cub bounded from the smoke and Miho barely had time to catch the little bear. It was only because of a firm hand on her back that she didn't topple with the weight of Fuma. "All is well, Lady Miho! Lord Tetsuya is with Lord Naruto. They are eating funny-smelling noodles. Lady Aiko and the Akimichi Lord are both safe! They send their regards! They said to be safe and to not run off."

Miho shifted her legs so that she could better withstand Fuma's weight as he leaned back to see her face. She felt Sasuke step away. "And Chōji?"

"Lord Chōji is with his comrades Lady Ino and Lord Shikamaru! They are currently on a mission! They said that you should not do anything stupid! The Lord Shikamaru said that you should stay put and not be troublesome. Like last time, Lady Miho!"

Huffing a laugh, Miho lowered herself down and sat the bear on the floor. "Like last time?"

Fuwa puffed out his chest, barring his canines. "I believe he means when I saved you from that horrible place, Lady Miho!" He fell onto his forepaws, licking at his teeth. "Lady Ino said that their teacher was summoned away. She said she is concerned."

_Not good._

Swallowing, Miho nodded and reached forward, resting a hand on his head. He preened beneath her palm. "Thank you, Fuwa. I really appreciate your help…again. Please send my best to Lord Ki and the others. Tell Shinrin I will call if I need her."

"See you soon, Lady Miho!" The cub grinned and disappeared.

Pushing herself up to stand, Miho looked to Sasuke. "Seems at least two jōnin were summoned for a mission earlier. Not a good sign."

"Doesn't mean it's connected to whatever is going on." Sasuke responded evenly. Miho could tell he was suspicious too, even if he wasn't willing to state as much. Still, Miho wasn't an idiot. Both Asuma-sensei and Genma-sensei being summoned? It could only be A-rank or higher, right?

She nodded, mildly agreeing as she sat back down at the table. She dug back into the rice, noticing that it sat lighter in her stomach than before. Her family was safe. After a moment, Miho realized Sasuke hadn't returned to his chair. Instead, he merely watched her from where he stood, face carefully devoid of emotion. She sat the chopsticks down, leaning back.

"You've got a question. Go ahead."

"You were abducted."

"That's not a question, Uchiha. That was a statement of fact." She held his stare before relenting. "Yeah, I was abducted. Not in the same way you were." He flinched. A sore topic then. She didn't quite know what to make of it. "They wanted something out of me. Not my power. I don't have enough of that to be desirable. Something else though."

Understatement. It was Ino's voice racketing around in her mind.

"I got lucky."

"You got out."

"Used my last remaining chakra to summon Fuwa. He got me out." Miho held up her forearm, picking at the skin. It pulled away from her arm like plastic, stretching in an abnormal way. Honestly, it made her feel sick. His eyes tracked to it, staying there even after she let the skin fall back into place. "We Akimichi store energy in our fat, right? I used two pills and it drained me so much that they didn't figure I could use chakra anymore. They kept me pumped full of enough foreign chakra that they could access my tenketsu."

"Why your tenketsu?"

Miho just met his eyes before letting her arm rest on the table. Instead of answering, she just took up her chopsticks again. Slowly, she lifted her left hand and tapped her temple.

"They wanted what was in my mind."

"In…your mind…"

His eyes flashed. Comprehending seemed to dawn on him. Miho went back to the rice. She really did well with the seasoning. It was nowhere near as good as Tetsuya's, but it was good. Next time, she'd add egg. "You should start buying eggs. Do you know how to make scrambled eggs? They're simple but good pro—"

"You were tortured."

Now, the rice settled like bricks.

Raising her eyes to Sasuke's somewhat stunned face, Miho forced a pursed-lip smile. She could never understand what he'd been through. What Itachi did to him. What Itachi did to force Sasuke's hand. To force Sasuke down a long and dark and hate-filled path. If Itachi had known before, would he have rethought? Would he have done things differently?

_"Hate me, little brother."_

Sasuke needed to be strong though.

To survive what was coming.

"Yeah, Sasuke, I was tortured."

Miho settled back in the chair, holding his attention. She carefully kept her voice level. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear a too-familiar voice. A voice that haunted her mind— nightmares and visions and memories.

"You know what? Some dirt feels too similar. Like it's the same grain. When it's under my fingernails, I can't breathe. And some nights…Some nights I wake up screaming because I keep seeing it. I keep seeing the same nightmare. And then there's him."

She wasn't really even paying attention to Uchiha Sasuke anymore.

"He's in here. In my head. Now. Just when I think his voice won't show up again, it's there. Sometimes, I realize I'm dead a thousand times over. And he took every single one of my lives." Miho swallowed and realized just how dry her throat felt. "He took each life and he…devoured them. Made them his. I can't get his voice out of my head."

With a shaking hand, she reached for the glass of water.

"Get stronger."

Her hand paused and she looked at the Uchiha.

His once black eyes were red and narrowed. Miho froze.

"Become stronger. Become so strong that you can destroy him! Become so strong that it will never happen again! Become stronger!"

He was sounding more and more frantic.

"Get STRONGER!"

Swallowing, Miho let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She was familiar with panic. Ino had guided her through the Yamanaka approaches for dealing with panic attacks. She decided to mimic her friend. Did Lady Tsunade have Sasuke in counselling? Had Kakashi been around long enough to help in some way? Did he even bother?

"I'll get stronger, Sasuke, but I already think I'm stronger than him." He jerked, eyes widening. Her voice was level and calm and even. And confident. "I survived him. I'm a genin and he was a jōnin. He was endlessly powerful, and I didn't stand a chance. What were my chances of survival?

"He wanted you to survive."

"I'm alive though. I'm stronger than him and I will be stronger than him."

Something dangerous flickered in Sasuke's eyes and Miho fought her instinct to stand.

Uchiha Sasuke was not saved. He was far from "saved."

He was _teetering_.

Like a rapidly spinning coin on a tabletop. Heads or tails, would it even matter?

"Sasuke." His wild eyes focused and Miho couldn't breathe. She'd seen that glare before— in the Images. That kind of hate-filled, cold stare. "You should eat the rest of the meal, okay? You can only get stronger if you eat."

When he settled into the chair again, Miho wondered just how close he'd come to going with Orochimaru, even without the Curse Mark. And she wondered, not for the first time, what had kept him from going. Ultimately, Uchiha Sasuke was not a bad person. A distant one, a difficult one, but… Miho focused on swallowing down the now-cold fried rice. She felt the flash of rage subsiding as Sasuke picked up his chopsticks.

Maybe…just maybe…this Sasuke would have a different story.

* * *

The All-Clear rang across Konohagakure before daybreak. Despite the time spent in the darkness of Root's dungeons, her body was still conditioned to wake at four in the morning. She had already been up for an hour when the signal sounded. Setting the dish on the table, Miho slung the bō across her back and headed for the door. For a moment, she hesitated in the open doorway.

Sasuke was still asleep, supposedly, but she knew better. He'd been awake nearly as long as she had, keeping silent so he wouldn't have to interact with her. He was so good at stealth that he nearly got away with it, until Miho felt the slightest shift in the baseboards of his apartment. He knew his apartment better than anyone.

No way that noise was anything but purposeful. He was too good for anything else.

She'd prepped breakfast, not bothering to be quiet or feign ignorance after that. Still he didn't leave his bedroom. Miho wasn't one to force him into interaction. He was already kind enough to let her stay. Still, some vague part of her knew that he had to be warring with every instinct and manner his mother taught him.

A person like him could only stand so much interaction for a day.

Nevermind the emotional price of the previous night.

"Breakfast is on the table, Uchiha. And remember to get eggs, okay?"

The village was awakening. Shops reopened and people reentered the streets. Miho hurried down the blocks, breaking into a full run when Naruto's apartment building came into full view. She took the stairs two at a time, using the bow to balance herself when her knee gave out every few leaps. She'd only knocked once when the door was thrown open. Naruto bolted out of the door, throwing his arms around her neck.

"Miho! 'Suya is a damned prick! Save me from him!"

"I am not! I just ate the last piece of pork. Damn it, let it go!" Tetsuya gave her a long-suffering look, bags under his eyes and shoulders rounded. "He's—"

"A DAMNED CHARLETON!"

Miho snorted, patting Naruto's head as he stepped away, looking to her for confirmation. His ire abated when she didn't immediately provide support. "Frankly, Naruto, Stringbean is the guest. You should've let him have the last piece. Did he cook for you?" Tetsuya scoffed and she already knew the answer. Of course he did. Naruto wasn't yet a cook, despite her best efforts. "Since Tetsuya cooked, it was polite to let him have the last piece of pork. Did you know grilled pork is his favorite food?"

"Don't share confidential information." Tetsuya inserted.

Waving her off, Naruto went back into the apartment as she followed. "Whatever. We got a lot of packing done last night. 'Suya's kinda a stickler ain't he? Reminds me of Sakura— organize this, label that." Miho smiled, looking around at the boxes. One large box was labelled 'RAMEN' in block capital letters. Clearly, Naruto helped. Tetsuya saddled up to her side, catching her eye. She could see the question mark. "I'm good."

"You look tired." Naruto interrupted Tetsuya, who shot him a look. Naruto grinned. "The cuddly bear you sent didn't tell us where you were—"

"— just that you were safe." Tetsuya glared in Naruto's direction, earning an innocent smile and raised hands. The blond hurried to throw a couple extra items in a box. "Where'd you end up last night anyway?"

"Uchiha Sasuke's."

"What? You stayed with the jerk? Why?" Naruto dropped whatever he'd been holding— a kunai— and spun. "He let you stay there?"

"I was leaving right when the alarm sounded. He gave me a place to stay. I stayed there for the night. Cooked dinner and breakfast." Biting her lip, she moved to sit down at the table, smiling a bit at the way each of the boxes were clearly labelled and the sheet of paper on the table that noted the contents of each. Tetsuya's handiwork. The guy_ loved_ his paperwork. "Naruto, _he's your teammate_. Don't make it out like he's such a nightmare."

Naruto snorted. "Didn't stop him from tryin' to lob off my head a few weeks ago."

"Which didn't stop you from hunting him down when he was abducted." Tetsuya shot back, studiously ignoring the glare Naruto sent his way. "Quit faking like you hate the guy. He's your teammate. Why'd you two fight in the first place? Any word on the street about the Level Two?" Miho looked away from Naruto's stricken expression, focusing instead on the way Tetsuya's put his hands on his hips.

"_Let's talk about body language. What's this? What're ya? A teapot?_" Koji's voice jeered in her head.

"Breakout at the Maximum Security Facility. I think we all need to check-in with the Missions De—"

Rapid knocking on Naruto's door had Miho on her feet, bō in hand. Tetsuya was closest to the door and looked to Naruto for confirmation before reaching for the handle. Naruto approached and Miho could see the defensive tilt of his shoulders. Miho was all-too-familiar with neighbors that felt it was their duty to wrangle in the "Monster" if he was too loud.

"Naruto, I know you're here. Open the damn door."

She knew that voice.

Miho let out a breath when the door opened to reveal Shikamaru, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. His pale face was drawn and tired. Behind him, Ino's ice-blue eyes were narrowed. Miho knew that furrow in her brow too well. Something was _wron_g. Then, Miho's eyes tracked to Chōji, who didn't flinch when she met his stare. Her brother trailed behind the other members of Team Ten, closing the door behind.

Shikamaru's hand went to the wall next to the door, pushing chakra into the seals. _Definitely not good._

"What's the deal, Shikamaru?"

"Hold it." Ino held up a hand. Naruto glared, crossing his arms. "Just _listen_, okay?" Miho sat the bō down and leaned onto it.

"Last night, there was a mass breakout at the Maximum Security Facility. Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, and Genma-sensei were injured." Miho felt her heart drop to her shoes. Carefully, she edged to Tetsuya's side. Her brother followed the movement. "They're currently in the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery." Ino looked to Miho and her expression was probably supposed to be comforting.

It wasn't.

"Mizuki is one of the prisoners that escaped." Shikamaru looked to Naruto, expression carefully neutral. Miho held her breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Iruka-sensei is missing."

"Missing?" Naruto's voice was soft. "What'd'ya mean he's_ missing_?"

Miho felt her stomach begin to gurgle when her brother stepped forward. "He was collecting escaped prisoners with a team when they were attacked. So far, both the Hokage's assistant, Shizune, and Iruka-sensei have been noted as missing." Miho met his eyes. Her brother held her stare for a long moment before turning to Naruto. "Mizuki attacked them."

Mizuki.

She didn't remember any of this. She didn't remember Mizuki breaking out or…anything involving him. She didn't remember anything in between Naruto in the Valley and Naruto leaving the village. Panic slammed into her chest and she gripped the bō tighter, earning a concerned glance from Tetsuya.

"We think he may be using Iruka-sensei to get to—"

"I have to go save Iruka-sensei!"

Before Miho could block Naruto from the door, Chōji planted himself in Naruto's path, feet shoulder width apart. Shock made the anxiety abate for a moment. Her brother never never defaulted to direct combat that quickly. Unless… There it was. The hard look that Chōji sometimes got when he knew something was wrong. Miho's brows pulled together as she watched her brother blocking Naruto from the door.

"Mizuki is using Iruka-sensei to get to you, Naruto. And where you go, my sister follows."

_He's trying._ Ino's voice came into her mind. _Miho, he's trying._

Miho drew a breath, staring at her brother. Chōji didn't budge, didn't flinch, didn't move. His chest seemed broader under the flak jacket. He was like steel. Not like before when he stepped aside to let her go find Naruto that night. The same night Mizuki went after Naruto and Iruka-sensei. _"You can trust me, Miho. I won't let you down."_

_He let me down._ Swallowing, Miho looked away, focusing on Shikamaru, who stepped forward. His dark eyes were focused, serious. Older.

"Genma-sensei is more injured than Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei. Why do you think that is? Why would Mizuki target him?" Shikamaru questioned. His voice was dull, but his expression was severe. Tension poured over her shoulders, settling between the blades. "There were_ four_ people that led to his arrest that night."

Naruto turned to look at her and Miho looked back.

She knew.

She knew she couldn't help him.

She knew she couldn't protect him.

Not this time.

Letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, Miho let the tension and fight roll from her tensed shoulders. Naruto's eyes tracked from her face down and slightly to the left.

Determination spread over his face and then he started to move.

"Naruto— stop!"

Shadows caught him. Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. Naruto's head followed the movement. "What a drag..." She could hear Naruto's jaw pop from the force of his teeth grinding. Chōji was braced at the door, settled into the Akimichi taijutsu stance. Ino had her hand out, dropping it when the shadows grabbed him. The room was eerily still.

"Let me go! I have to go help Iruka-sensei!"

Miho didn't miss that Naruto's hands were moving, inching toward each other bit by bit. This didn't go unnoticed by Shikamaru either, who scowled, obviously pushing more chakra into the technique. The shadows grew darker, and she imagined, stronger. Naruto's hands shook, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Let. Go."

"We're _going with you_, you irritating little—" Ino threw up her hands, rolling her eyes in exasperation. She strode forward, settling a hand on Naruto's shaking shoulders. For a moment, Ino looked older than her years. The flak jacket seemed to age her as well. Miho tried to ignore a longer-haired memory, a young woman who watched her father killed on the battlefield. "Like we'd just show up without a plan. Get it together, Uzumaki."

_I still don't know how you deal with him._ Ino's tone was vaguely affectionate, if layered underneath a fathomless amount of impatience. _He's unbearable._

Naruto stopped trying to overpower Shikamaru's shadows and they trailed away, releasing the blond. He stumbled forward, looking around to Team Ten. "Whaddya mean 'a plan,' huh?"

Chōji spoke up, easing out of his defensive crouch. "Shikamaru's the best strategist of our generation, Naruto. There's…There's no way we're letting Mizuki get away with this. Iruka-sensei is important to all of us. And we know, he's really important to you."

Miho felt Tetsuya shifting a bit, looking between Team Ten and Naruto. She understood. She did. She felt useless. She already felt off-kilter after using her chakra. Going into a battle in her current state would only put people in danger. Tetsuya had to feel the same way. As unobtrusively as possible, Miho slid her hand into his. He held it, squeezing when Shikamaru began to detail his strategy.

Naruto listened. Really listened. The kind of listening that he did when he removed all of the masks he wore. The kind that made his eyes darker. Chōji moved away from the door, comfortable that Naruto wasn't going to bolt. Ino made her way over to lean against the wall beside Miho, arms crossed over her chest.

Her voice was low when she spoke. "You're going to the hospital?"

Miho nodded.

"Genma-sensei was critical when they brought him in last night. He made it through." Ino glanced over to where Chōji sat. Her brother withdrew a bag of chips. Miho saw that he'd already gained his weight back. Frustration and, Miho felt sick, jealousy cut through her stomach. She wanted her weight back. "He's after Naruto now. We'll use him as bait."

Naruto.

Bait.

_"What's one useless fat-ass going to do?"_

_Inútil. Useless._

"Chubs." Tetsuya's voice was calm, calling her attention to him. "Miho." She dragged her stare away from Naruto. "Breathe." He lifted their hands and Miho immediately let go, seeing how white his fingers were in her grip. "It's okay." She didn't realize she had that kind of strength left. "It's okay." He turned, grabbing his bag from Naruto's table.

As he stuffed his scattered papers into a folder, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Chōji stood. Miho moved, meeting Naruto at the center of the room.

"Be careful. Don't—"

"Hey! Don't worry, Miho! I'll be back. We'll be back. With Iruka-sensei and we'll beat that stupid Mizuki into the dirt." Naruto sat a hand on her left shoulder. His hand there was gentle, resting just over the old scar. "And I'll be alright. Believe it! After all, I've got people here that loves me, right?"

Miho opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't seem to find the words. Instead, she just nodded.

Shikamaru scoffed. "What? No sweet parting words for me? Got people here that love me? Troublesome."

Ino pushed him toward the door, muttering something under her breath. "We'll be back in no-time. This jerk's not going to be a problem." She was out of the door, calling over her shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid, Team Five!" Naruto followed them out, kunai pouch now secured to his thigh. She didn't even see him move to get changed.

He was faster now.

"Chōji."

Her brother paused in the doorway, looking back to her. For the first time, she saw the walls start to crumble a bit. His face seemed more open, sadder and more desolate and with the slightest shred of innocent kindness that she remembered. It was the first time she'd really seen him since returning to Konoha. She met his eyes.

"Be care—"

"I'll protect Naruto, Miho."

Before she could respond, Chōji followed his teammates and Naruto, leaving Miho and Tetsuya watching them go. Miho locked up the apartment a moment later, using Naruto's spare key. Together, Team Five headed to their teacher's apartment before making their way to the hospital.

With each step, Miho felt the word echo louder in her head.

_Useless._

Useless.

Every so often, it was in a voice that was not her own.

* * *

Genma flicked another senbon at the wall, the last in a design that spanned the entire noticeboard. Abstract, but surely, a work of art. He'd been confined to bed on threat of gate duty, which really was becoming an annoying threat. The Hokage figured out people's weaknesses and exploited them and Genma did so hate working the gate. Mostly because it was boring (see: involved paperwork). He rolled another senbon between his fingers and tried to ignore how much his back hurt.

He sensed them before they opened the door. The two hesitated before peaking inside.

"Stop loitering or the medics will run you out for being creeps."

Tetsuya— the little jerk— flipped on the light as he stepped into the room, having no mercy. Genma's eyes adjusted quickly, but it was still an annoying move. He'd file that away for later. Miho trailed behind, arms laden with a recognizable bag.

"I bet Asuma and Kurenai's kids haven't brought them go-bags yet." Genma's tone was decidedly smug, but hell. His kids were so much better than Ten and Eight.

"What happened, Boss?"

"A lot happened." He joked, earning a half-hearted glare from Tetsuya.

"Team Ten just went with Naruto to rescue Iruka-sensei from Mizuki." Miho rattled off, setting the bag down. She completely ignored his joke and Genma watched. Her back was to him, but Genma wasn't a fool. He could see the tense set of her shoulders.

She wouldn't have stood a chance against Mizuki.

She knew that. She wasn't a fool.

Genma could've destroyed that jerk if it weren't for the hostages. Could've turned him into a pincushion. Asuma, too, could've set the fool aflame. Forget Kurenai's badass genjutsu. She could've ripped his mind apart.

Mizuki was a coward, always hiding behind others. He preyed on those weaker than him.

"We brought a couple books." Tetsuya sat the novels on his beside table. The kid gave him a meaningful look, trying to impart his concern with a jerk of his head toward Miho's back. "You know, we need to go for longer than a month without one of us ending up here, Boss."

Huffing a laugh, Genma nodded, watching as Tetsuya settled in a chair and Miho faced the windows. "Next person to be admitted owes the others…" He prompted the kids, waiting to see if Miho would take the opportunity to deal for some takoyaki.

Silence met his prompt.

Tetsuya grimaced, knowing what he intended. His head shook and his tongue clicked. Not good then.

"How'd convincing the Uchiha go?"

Genma sensed the slightest shift in her weight. He sat up, ignoring the way his back ached at the movement. How many missing-nin landed on his back? A hundred? Each pummeling and kicking? Nevermind Mizuki breaking his arm. Damn thing was in a sling. Ridiculous. Miho's muscles were coiled. Genma's voice was hard.

"Don't."

Tetsuya was standing again, obviously prepared to stop her if he had to. Genma wasn't entirely sure he could do it. By the way Tetsuya was shifting, the kid wasn't sure either.

Even at her weakest, Miho was stronger than Tetsuya.

She was still facing the window, hands fisted at her sides.

Genma was all too familiar with this feeling. He knew it. He knew it too well. "You rush out there like you are now and you'll get someone killed. Shikamaru, Ino, Chōji. Iruka. Naruto. Have confidence in them, Miho. They'll be fine."

He watched as her shoulders began to shake. She stepped to the left until she was pressed against the wall by the window, hands coming up to shield her face as she pressed into the white-painted sheetrock. Then, he heard the quiet sobbing.

This time, it wasn't because of what she'd endured or what she'd seen or what she'd lost. He'd seen her cope with those things. No, this was something else entirely. Because she was a strong person that, for the first time in a long, long time, felt weak.

And, Genma saw out of the corner of his eye, Tetsuya likely felt the same. Too weak to help her. Too weak to help them. Koji would be fussing up a damn storm.

His team was learning a lot of lessons early.

Genma shifted himself up on the pillows, pushing the hair out of his face with his good hand. They took his damn bandana away. It'd been blood-soaked in the melee. A detail he was sure his kids would notice.

"Cry it out if you need to. That's fine. Here's as good as place as any. After that though, pull it together. Train. Get stronger." Genma could feel her control returning and he settled. "Now, looks like I was smart to pre-book that genin team since I won't be able to help you move."

Miho crossed to the bed, limp more evident than it had ever been. Before Genma could comment on it, she crumpled down and pressed her forehead to his bicep, just under his ANBU tattoo. Akimichi were such tactile people. Genma didn't think twice as he patted the top of her head, pressing the wild curls down. She was still sniffling, but her voice sounded steady when she spoke.

"We're glad you're okay, Genma-sensei."

Tetsuya stepped up behind her, pressing a hand to her shoulder as he nodded. Genma met the kid's dark eyes. They seemed even darker somehow. More mature. Wiser. "Yeah, sensei. We're glad you're okay. You had us worried there for a minute."

Sighing, Genma settled back into the pillows and raised his eyes to the ceiling.

"You'll get there. You'll both get there. I'll make sure you get there. Not leaving you before that."

Shiranui Genma was a man of his word. He'd help them get stronger. Stronger than him. Strong enough to face whatever future lay ahead. Battles. War. World-ending jutsu. If he hadn't sworn so a hundred times before the kami already, he'd swear it again.

"Book Club?"

If his kids' voices were a bit choked when they responded, he ignored it. "Let's get it."

* * *

Miho crashed into the ground, shoulders kicking up sand as she skidded. She could feel it in her shirt, grinding along her damp skin until she stopped. Letting out a breath, she stared up at the fading light. The sun would set soon. Shifting around, she swept the naginata around and arrived to her knees. Her right knee popped uncomfortably as she moved, but Miho ignored the sensation.

Across the training field, Elder Torifu lowered his weapon and stood straight. "Your timing is all wrong. The lack of weight is throwing off your balance and you have yet to restart your weight training. You have maintained your speed, but not your endurance." Miho nodded as she stood, using the staff to support her body. "You have retained your technique. Once you regain your weight and weights, you will begin to hone your skills."

"I'll restart weights next week, Elder Torifu?"

He nodded. "I'll speak to Gai."

Elder Torifu dipped into a bow, ending the spar.

Miho followed suit, glancing across the clearing toward where her father stood watching. She felt a thrill of fear. "Elder Torifu, I...I used my chakra yesterday evening. It feels..."

"The Hokage told you to avoid using it until your follow-up visit with the Bears." Her father was across the clearing in seconds. Miho bit her lip, edging back. Hurt was clear in his eyes before he seemed to press it away. "Miho, you must be cautious. We do not know what impact the foreign chakra will have."

Elder Torifu watched the exchange, large arms crossing over his chest. Miho glanced up at him, shifting her hold on the staff. "You will be moving this weekend, Miho. It seems now is the best time to raise a certain issue, particularly while I have you and your father in the same place." Miho floundered a bit. The day had already been a taxing one.

She didn't feel guilty for crying with Tetsuya and Genma-sensei. After he'd summarily kicked her and Tetsuya out of the hospital room, she'd thrown herself headlong into training. Tetsuya had returned to the Utatane Estate to finish packing. She was just biding her time until Naruto, Team Ten, and Iruka-sensei returned. Keeping her mind and body busy until then seemed the best course of action.

"I intend for Miho to be my final student. The final Akimichi to inherit my style." Miho felt her stomach drop as she watched the news strike her father. His weight shifted to the balls of his feet. Elder Torifu was old and his age was beginning to truly show in the way his jowls drooped and his eye lids thickened. "I must have the expressed permission of the current Clan Head to officially take her on as an apprentice. As she will be a clan-based apprentice, I need not wait until she reaches rank."

Her father's shock settled and he turned to Miho.

She raised her chin, trying to keep her composure. The wind picked up, sending her curls into a wild riot. Miho tied the curls back, noticing a strange expression on her father's face. Elder Torifu stood proud, perhaps even defiant. His aura brooked no argument on the matter. She wondered if her father would deny the Elder. Preserve the Akimichi name.

Her once-steady composure was wavering. It just seemed that she couldn't quite get her emotions under control.

As Elder Torifu's apprentice, she would be at the estate often enough to keep in steady contact with her family- with her cousins and the Elders. With her mother. And her father. And her brother. She'd have stable access to Elder Ayumu for weight counselling and support. When she met the Elder's eyes, she knew it was more than that. He truly believed in her ability to take his style forward. Miho felt her breath catch.

"Permission granted." Her father turned, formally bowing to the Elder. "I cannot think of a better final student for you, Akimichi Torifu."

She had to get stronger.

Elder Torifu was willing to help her get there.

"Miho!"

Turning, Miho could see Team Ten and Naruto walking through the Akimichi Estate gate. Naruto waved his hands over his head, smile as bright as the sun. She could see cuts in his pants and jacket. All of those cuts were healed over. Ino was bleeding, favoring her right side. Shikamaru had a black eye and some cuts on his forearms. And her brother had cuts and bruises. They were alright.

They were alright and they were smiling.

Relief made the strength fade from her legs and Miho caught herself on the staff.

"For the record..." Ino said as she approached, resting her hands on her hips. "Mizuki-sensei has always been a jerk."

* * *

**A/N:**

Yay! One more chapter and then we arrive to the time-skip! I am so very grateful for all the supportive words and encouragement this story has received. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read! Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

Please leave me your thoughts as we move into the final chapter of Part I.


	26. Part I: Fable

Genma watched Miho down the final protein ball before she chugged down another shake. He could see her double-chin returning and her cheeks filling out from where they were once hollowed. She was gaining the weight back, slowly but surely. The integral caloric intake was working. Calories were added every two days, until she reached 10,000. It was a fast pace, but a safe one. Last he had checked with the Akimichi dietician, Old Woman Ayumu, Miho was on-track to settle at her optimal weight within two weeks.

Then, it was just a matter of reconditioning.

It was an agonizing process, rebuilding.

Genma'd experienced it more times than he'd like to remember. On-mission injuries, physical therapy, counselling, surgeries, stamina-building, Genma knew how difficult it was to rebuild yourself. Losing Koji, too. They had to rebuild themselves and bear the weight of loss.

Both Miho and Tetsuya were proving themselves…as survivors.

They'd proven themselves as ninja.

Tetsuya finished his circuit, stumbling over to where Miho sat. He collapsed into the blanket, covering his eyes with his arm. From his perch in the trees, Genma could see Miho settle a towel over her teammate's forehead. Her legs were finally gaining their weight, splayed out before her. She was stitching, a hobby she seemed to be taking more seriously after her imprisonment. Tetsuya pulled her leg toward him, using it as a pillow.

"Shiranui."

Genma rolled his eyes, not even bothering to look at the other branch. "Figured you'd show up at some point."

"The Hokage's had me on missions."

As if that excused his distance from his own team.

Seven was splintered in a way that it shouldn't be.

Genma scoffed, reaching up to use the senbon to pick at a place between his teeth. A habit he knew irritated the ever-loving hell out of Kakashi. The guy's sensitive hearing could pick up on the scratch-scratch of the needle point against bone.

He could sense the irritation, even if Kakashi didn't look up from his book. "I've been out on missions, too. Downside of an invasion, yeah? We still got bills to pay." Still, here he was— blood-stained and exhausted— checking in on his kids. "What do you want?"

Kakashi was quiet. It might've seemed contemplative to others, but Genma had years of practice observing the Copy-Ninja's mannerisms. Gai could read Kakashi like a book. Genma took his cues from his teammate. He knew Kakashi pitied him in some way. Maybe even pitied his team. After all, Kakashi was all-too-familiar with losing teammates.

Kakashi wasn't someone who showed pity easily.

"Your students are living with my students."

Genma smirked, pulling the senbon from his lips. Finally, he turned to Kakashi only to find that the book was down. Ah, Genma realized as his back straightened, the real Kakashi decided to make an appearance. Not that stupid knock-off Obito that he liked to imitate.

"Frankly, I'm not sure how _my_ kids can put up with _your_ kids, but…" Genma shrugged.

"Why, Shiranui?"

"Why what, _Hatake_?"

Irritation flashed on Kakashi's face. Genma felt the vaguest sense of satisfaction. Getting a rise out of Kakashi was fun. "When I came back from my mission, two of my students had moved. Two of my students who _hate each other_ are now living together. With an Utatane and an Akimichi."

Genma held Kakashi's stare for a long moment. "You really think those two boys hate each other?" Chuckling a bit, he settled the senbon back between his lips. "Did you hate Obito?" Low blow, but an effective one. Genma didn't coddle Kakashi like Gai did. Something very, very close to rage flashed in Hatake's visible eye. "Yeah, given what we know, there's a lot of unresolved emotion there."

Considering Obito somehow became _Tobi of Akatsuki_ and intended to end the world…

A lot of unresolved emotion.

Below, he saw Miho push herself up. She cradled Tetsuya's head and gently settled it onto the blanket. When she stood, she grinned down at her stomach, resting both hands on it before patting it through the vest. Genma could see Tetsuya grinning up at her. He could imagine Koji cheering, handing her a cookie from her bag of snacks. Swallowing down the hurt, Genma turned to Kakashi, rolling his shoulders back.

"Your kids needed something to hold onto. Someone to notice. People to come back to. They need support. Naruto, Sasuke, hell, Sakura. And you're not there. You're not even trying to be there. You're not securing them. You weren't there and they fractured. And they were going to do the same again. _Again. Here._"

The senbon's metal taste was usually comforting, but it reminded him too much of the blood he spilled the previous night. Genma ignored the gagging sensation and removed the needle again.

"Naruto lived alone in that rundown apartment of his with that crumpled picture of his_ dead parents_." Kakashi flinched. "Sasuke was isolated a stone's throw from where his family was massacred. Not exactly healthy living situations, Kakashi."

"They seemed to be—"

His fingers flexed as he stared. Kakashi was a damn idiot. He'd been told once before that his Killing Intent felt like a noose full of needles wrapping around a throat. He wondered if Hatake felt that. If he did, the Copy-Nin didn't acknowledge the threat.

"They need support structures, you fool. They need help. They need a community. They need a team. Hell, they need structure. Kakashi, they needed a home, not just a place to live. And they didn't seem to be fine. You're just willfully blind."

Genma took a deep breath and let the tension go, allowing it to melt from his shoulders. He settled the senbon back between his teeth and let his shoulders curve forward a bit to relieve the tightness in his back.

He couldn't believe he'd hesitated for a fraction of a second when Miho and Tetsuya brought him the idea.

He didn't want his kids near the mess that was Team Seven.

Now, they were living with the mess. And Genma felt fifty years older, even if he had encouraged it.

"_Sounds like we're involved now- whether we like it or not, Genma-sensei."_ Tetsuya had said while Miho slept, his lanky arm curled around her in that stupid hospital bed. _"Might as well make a difference where we can, right?"_

"So, yeah, Hatake, our kids are roommates. You might be familiar with their new place. Go check it out. I've already secured it to Level Five, but have fun adding more traps."

Genma turned, watching Miho settle into an Akimichi kata. He knew she had to be sore. She'd already run two hundred and thirty laps that morning, along with a early morning session with Elder Torifu. They weren't yet on active roster, so training and recovery was top priority. He felt Kakashi turn. Tetsuya shifted to sit upright. The kid crossed his legs, settling into a meditative pose.

A familiar meditative pose with a sword resting over his lap.

"Hayate won't stop talking about him." Kakashi commented, lifting his book again. "The next inheritor of the Moon Style."

Humming in agreement, Genma tried to ignore the pain in his shoulder. Those damn guards were better than he had anticipated. Miho overshot a move, catching herself. The new weights were throwing off her balance. Tetsuya inhaled and exhaled.

"It's three-oh-five, isn't it?"

"They all need a place to come back to. We know that better than most."

"Better than most." Kakashi agreed after a few moments.

Leaving the Copy-Ninja behind, Genma jumped down to the training field.

* * *

It was before dawn. Dew still clung to the leaves and blades of grass. Much of Konoha was still cocooned under blankets in the warmth of their homes. Akimichi Miho pushed herself through the cool morning air. Her chest was aching terribly as she rounded the training ground. It was a familiar routine. One that she'd finally earned back.

She was completing her 400th lap of her daily jog.

Muscles burning and eyes watering, she slowed down her pace and stumbled over to a worn green towel that had been thrown over a low branch. She patted her forehead and took a deep breath, running a hand through her thick damp curls. They fell past her shoulders now.

Judging from the dim light that was rising on the horizon, sunrise was approaching. Soon enough, Lee would arrive for a spar. She needed to keep working to rebuild her taijutsu.

It was better than lying awake, she thought vaguely. It was better than reliving nightmares and trying to hide crying at the apartment.

Naruto hadn't caught on yet.

Tetsuya, of course, already knew.

And Sasuke…Sasuke gave her a critical look after a swiftly hidden panic attack.

He likely knew better than anyone.

He definitely knew better than anyone.

Her muscles burning and aching was better than watching different conclusions to a lifelong nightmares played out in her mind. Things she'd seen. Things she'd seen with him. Things Ino conjured up. Things that really happened _somewhere_ in _some life_.

With one errant decision, Chōji died gruesomely before her very eyes—under a huge orange-furred claw. He would look to her in the last moments before his bones were crushed, begging her to help. His hand reached out to her. His butterfly wings flickering and fading.

_"You could've helped him then. What a mistake you made."_

Muscles ripped from bones, blue flames gathering about his body.

She was always helpless, watching her brother's death as if it were a movie.

Fu's voice haunted her. _"If you just told someone, you could have saved him._"

It was real. It happened.

Didn't it?

_"Ah, but he betrayed you, didn't he?"_

In other flickers, Naruto was impaled by a hand through his chest and birds were screeching. Naruto, whose smile was so much brighter than the light that swallowed the world. Sasuke put his hand through her chest too. It was a small mercy.

_"You'd never be strong enough."_

Lee was stabbed, terribly mangled in the onslaught.

Shikamaru was consumed in bright white light.

Ino, her vibrant eyes blank and unseeing.

Her father burned alive in an explosion that shook the very earth beneath her feet as she looked on from a distance. Hundreds of thousands gone in mere seconds.

_"Lord Danzō will know what you know."_

Squeezing her eyes shut, Miho rolled her shoulders back and refocused her breathing. Her lips pressed together. Steady. In and out.

_In through the nose, out through the mouth._

_Keep up your training._

_Do your best when it all goes south._

Rearing her body back, she rolled forward and to her feet. One strike. Two strikes. Three. Spin. Strike. Spin, block. Again. Right. Left. Strike, block. Strike. Spin. Block. Again.

_In through the nose, out through the mouth._

_Keep up your training._

_Do your best when it all goes south._

Again.

Again.

Again!

"Miho, my dear Beautiful Friend of the Ages! Have you finished your warm-up? Are you ready for a spar?"

Opening her eyes, Miho looked over to see Lee rising up from where he'd landed on the other side of the training ground. A smile was firmly in place and he gave her a thumbs-up. A supremely disgruntled Hyuuga Neji and a ticked-off Tenten stood on either side of him. Their contrasting expressions might've been funny if they didn't catch Miho so off-guard. Lee hurried forward, pulling her into a dramatic, spinning embrace. With a twirl, he released her and gestured toward his teammates.

"Look, I brought along Neji and Tenten! My youthful team! I remembered that you wanted to spar my fair teammate. And Neji is… here!"

Miho almost snorted at Rock's very, very subtle jab. The Hyuuga's scowl intensified. For the sake of entertainment more than anything else, Miho waved. "Great to see you, Tenten. I'd love to do a weapons spar, if you're up for it."

"Lee mentioned you've been working on your naginata skills. That's why he…invited…me." Tenten looked cautiously toward her brooding teammate, who still stood ramrod straight beside her. His eyes narrowed at the attention and Tenten grimaced. "Lee said you're training with Akimichi Torifu. He's a legend!"

"Master Torifu is an experience. That's for sure! I'm sure he'd love to have you visit a training session. He loves people who can throw things at me." Tenten laughed, moving to settle herself comfortably under a nearby tree. "After Lee then?"

"After me."

Miho turned. "What was that, Gluten-Free?"

"You will spar with me." He walked to a position at about the middle of the clearing. With an utterly bored stare, he looked over at her.

And Miho had to admit, she was dumbfounded.

"Did you...lose a bet?"

With no answer save a continued stare, Miho looked to Lee. Lee, who was already doing push-ups at the edge of the training ground. He didn't even pause when he gave her a thumbs-up while doing a few push-ups one-handed. "I said my gloriously youthful team and I would be happy to aid you in your quest for recovery, Sweet Sunflower!"

Rock Lee… Miho felt a growl building up in her throat.

Something felt like it was churning under her skin, bubbling and twisting.

"I am sparring with your teammate this afternoon."

That brought Miho up short.

The irritation that she'd sensed from him before was gone. Instead, his eyes seemed honest. Her father had said something of the Hyuuga once. _"For all that their eyes can see, their eyes tell all that you need to know of them."_ Hinata's eyes were sincere, kind, and determined. Neji's eyes— He settled into his initial taijutsu stance, hand outstretched.

"Your teammate saved my life and, by his sacrifice, Lady Hinata's life."

_Sacrifice._

Miho tensed, bending her knees and lowering her center of gravity. "Tetsuya's not dead."

Something flickered over his face. Then, he nodded. Miho stepped back, narrowly avoiding a strike to her left shoulder. Sensing the next strike, she threw herself forward, narrowing escaping a blow to her other shoulder. The veins around his eyes emerged, throbbing beneath the skin of his temples. Miho felt a thrill of fear and exhilaration.

Neji wouldn't hold back.

He wouldn't treat her like a china doll.

Miho felt a smile tugging at her lips as she threw herself forward again, swinging one of her weighted legs toward his midsection. He blocked, of course, but he clearly wasn't anticipating that kind of weight. Nearly one hundred pounds on each leg now. Next week, she'd up it to two hundred pounds. She got some satisfaction in seeing his heels dig into the dirt from that hit.

"YOUTH!" She heard Lee yell somewhere.

Springing back, Miho felt a strike to her left shoulder. Her entire arm tingled. She didn't yet have enough meat to take hits as well as she used to. Akimichi were often sparring opponents of Hyuuga for that very reason. Akimichi were built to take hits. Hyuuga were built to hit. She settled back again, lowering her torso and squaring her shoulders. She vaguely wondered if he could feel it. In her hits. With the way his brows drew together, she wondered.

Could he sense her frustration in her hits?

Could he sense the slightest bit of anger _at him_ for what happened to Tetsuya?

No matter how nonsensical it was, Miho could feel it there. She could feel it when she hit the ground and she could feel it when she hauled herself back up again.

Getting close enough to Hyuuga Neji to body throw him was definitely not possible, but damn if she didn't want to just throw him though.

"Your balance is off. Shift to the right."

Neji was going to die.

Miho adjusted.

Or maybe he wouldn't have to.

She hadn't even noticed that she was compensating for her leg. Neji nodded, attacking again. She felt two more hits. Fat and muscle, not a chakra point. She could withstand. It hurt like hell though. Miho felt some satisfaction when she actually landed another kick to his braced arms. Again, his heels dug into the grass. She could feel a ripple in the air from the impact.

The leaves rustled.

His hair was mesmerizing, Miho thought idly when they entered into another round of blows and parries. His hair moved so perfectly with him that it was almost part of the dance. It was kinda ethereal.

Neji's hair was...

Seeing a perfectly-aimed blow coming, Miho braced.

He was too damn good.

His palm struck her shoulder.

Miho felt her mouth open, but no sound came out.

She couldn't breathe.

Something was wrong.

Something was _wrong_.

_Something was wrong._

The burning tore like a tempest through her arm and her chest, melting down her stomach to her thighs and legs. It roiled and burned and seared. There was a rushing sound in her ears— a thunderous sound that only seemed to build with each passing second until she couldn't hear anything else. It felt as if pressure was building in her chest, pressing up against her sternum and rib cage. The pain felt…It felt like the worst indigestion she'd ever had. It _hurt._

Lee's face appeared, but she wasn't sure why he was in the sky or why he looked so scared. She couldn't feel anything except the way her body ached and arched and shuddered. It hurt. It burned.

It surged.

It crashed.

* * *

"She's definitely not the sharpest kunai in the pack, is she?" Tsunade rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Really, the Fifth Hokage was getting too old for this shit. As soon as that annoying brat Naruto heard that the Akimichi girl was in the hospital again, everything was going to get _louder_ and Tsunade hadn't had time to do a hangover jutsu to quell her raging headache. "The little twerp used her chakra and then fought a damn_ Hyuuga._"

The girl knew the future, was tough as nails, and was an absolute dumbass.

"I was not aware that Akimichi Miho's chakra was unstable."

The Hokage looked around to where said Hyuuga stood near the wall. Rock Lee was fretting beside him, a perfect contrast to his stoic teammate. The poor Ten Ten was looking particularly tired, obviously wanting to be anywhere but where she was. For a moment, Tsunade really identified with a fourteen year old. "How about you three take a hike and go get her father?"

Rock Lee snapped to attention, saluting with a fervor that Tsunade really couldn't stomach this early in the damn morning. She turned back to the Akimichi girl, trying to stabilize her raging chakra. At this rate, if she didn't get it to calm soon, she'd need to seal it. And that was the last thing Tsunade wanted to do. "I will go to the Akimichi Estate! Come with me Fair Teammates! Let us go!" Tsunade sensed two of the three leaving.

When she raised her attention again, she met the kid's eyes.

"Go, Hyuuga."

He said nothing as he complied. Moody teenagers and their freakin' drama. Tsunade felt a surge of the chakra rising and falling, swirling around like a maelstrom between her tenketsu. It felt unnatural. Fraught. Unfamiliar, but...familiar. Every so often, she felt what had to be the Akimichi's original chakra in the mixture. Those moments were few and far between.

"Lady Tsunade?"

"Shizune, summon Genma and Elder Torifu. As soon as I get this girl stabilized, we need to summon the Bears."

It took way more effort than Tsunade liked to get the chakra to subside and calm. If anything, the chakra did so on its own, she merely kept it from destroying or negatively affecting the Akimichi girl's already fragile chakra system. Any more abuse and it would be irreparably damaged. Nevermind what that absolute idiot of a torturing field medic did when the girl was in captivity, this chakra would eat her alive if it was left unchecked. Tsunade wondered if the Bears had any idea what they were doing when they saved her.

When the girl awoke again, some thirty minutes later, Tsunade rested both hands on her hips.

"Let me tell you, girly. Dealing with you and your drama was not what I had in mind for today."

Looking properly chastised, Akimichi Miho swallowed nothing and looked away, toward the window. "I-I apologize, Lady Hokage."

"I'll have you know, I've got enough to deal with. You gave me enough to deal with." Knowledge of the future, changes to that future, a war on the horizon. There was no want for plenty to do and plenty of want for sake. "One use of chakra when I specifically said not to use your chakra was one thing. Fighting a Hyuuga is just stupidity given movement."

The girl nodded. "I'm- I'm sorry, Lady Hokage."

"What if that Hyuuga didn't have the sense to stop and closed another one of your tenketsu? What if your friend didn't drop his weights to get you here so fast? What if I was not on my way-" Tsunade stopped, looking down to see that the girl had thrown an arm over her eyes. Her body was shaking and she was very clearly holding back sobs.

Tsunade felt the headache lessen a bit as she sat on the edge of the bed, sighing as the girl continued to cry. In reality, she had every right to lose it. She'd seen what the girl knew. The girl had reported what she'd endured. She'd lost a teammate. She lost trust in her loved ones. She was attempting, despite everything, to keep a wildcard loyal. Now, she had a royally-fucked-up chakra system. Tsunade imagined the pressure was...overwhelming.

"Want to explain?"

"I want to sl-sleep."

Nodding, Tsunade reached for the girl's head. Miho shook her head and lowered her arm. It was only when Tsunade looked closer that she saw the bags under the girl's eyes. Exhaustion. Why hadn't anyone noticed? Why hadn't anyone said anything?

"I can help you sleep."

"I see him. In my head. I see it all. I can't- I can't sleep. And...And I'm-I'm scared."

"You think I don't know what trauma looks like, Akimichi?" Tsunade realized her tone was too harsh. Miho didn't flinch, but there was a shift in the light of her eyes that made the Hokage rethink her tactics. "I'll prescribe some sleeping pills. We'll get you set up with a counselor. Once things settle, Aoba can return to training you in meditative practices. Those things should help."

"I'm...I'm trying not to be disappointed in myself, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade scoffed, standing. "Disappointed in yourself? You think Naruto would stand for that? You think Rock Lee and that Obnoxious Team Ten would stand for that? Or Genma and the Utatane brat? Get over yourself, Akimichi. Take a rest then you've got work to do."

* * *

As the story goes, there was once a woman who sought knowledge. It is said that she spent her entire life searching for it. She looked for it in the valleys. She looked for it in the mountains. She searched beyond the moon and below the ground. Still, the woman never found the wisdom she sought. After she left each place, she said: "I have heard many knowledges, but not the knowledge I seek."

At one point in her journey, she encountered the Sage of Six Paths.

"What is the knowledge you seek, Wanderer?" The Sage asked.

"I will know when I learn of it."

Tired from her journeys, the woman settled under a tree at the edge of a very large plain. She sat there for many moons.

The plain stretched to the horizon. Every so often, the woman could see flashes of light at the very edge of that horizon. The wind rose up and then a great rain came in walls and torrents. A storm moved across the plain before her. The cloud swirled in the sky, magnificent grays and purples, shadows and light. It was magnificent and strong and a wonder.

The woman rose up and called the storm to her.

No human had ever called to the storm before. Such audacity should be noticed and rewarded. The storm turned and came to her. It settled about her like a cloak, pooling into her chakra and resting in her veins. "This power shall be passed from generation to generation," the storm told the woman. And the woman no longer wandered.

This story was told to her as a child, but she never saw why. There was no lesson to be learned. There was no tie to Akimichi history. It was just a random story that Elder Ayumu had told her, twirling a curl between her gnarled fingers.

"Someday…" Elder Ayumu had smiled. "Someday, you will understand, sweet bun."

That woman she'd heard about so long ago while Elder Ayumu and she twisted buns in the afternoon sunlight was Okuda Yaegiri— a legendary figure in the Okuda Clan.

Under her fingers, kanji spelled out the story. It told of how Okuda Yaegiri, the Wanderer, acquired the Storm Release of the Okuda Clan.

Miho closed the scroll and looked across to where her father sat. Her eyes met his for a short moment before she looked away, toward where her mother was seated. Her mother smiled, though it was taught and tense.

The grass seemed especially cool and damp. This early in the morning, the village seemed calm, peaceful. The sun had only just risen over the horizon.

Miho's eyes then tracked over to Lord Ki, whose gigantic form and fur sat at half the height of the largest oak in the Akimichi training ground. His hind legs were folded beneath him, formal kimono neatly arranged. She could see lightning bolts stitched into fabric, intricate little swirling patterns etched on the teal robes.

The scroll was the History of the Okuda.

It'd been carefully preserved, guarded by the Bears. Given to them by Okuda Keisuke.

Now, it rested in her hands.

Beside Lord Ki, Healer Ha was muttering something under his breath, jowls swinging and greyed eyes holding a cynical sort of scowl. "A son of the Great Okuda Yaegiri wrestled the Emperor of Center Mountain, Lord Kintoki, before all of the Four Directions. This was because Lord Kintoki sought to control the mountain on which the Okuda had built their home. The human won. It was such a huge shock at the time. When asked why he fought such a large bear—"

Healer Ha shifted, making sure the attention of all those present was focused upon him.

"The Okuda said, 'I only sought to protect my family and my clan by building a mountain fortress. I could not lose.' Lord Kintoki was so impressed, he pledged a contract with all of that line."

"While the history lesson is appreciated, it's not why we're here." Lady Tsunade commented drily. Healer Ha shot her a glare, a growl building at the back of his throat. "Akimichi Miho's chakra system." The prompt was firm.

Lord Ki cleared his throat, attempting to refocus the conversation. "Center Mountain's chakra is like a typhoon." Miho almost smiled, noticing the slightest hint of longsuffering in his tone. Healer Ha practically hissed, obviously irritated that his history lesson was not more appreciated. Miho looked up to Lord Ki when he called to her. "You will be consumed by the chakra of Center Mountain if you do not learn to work with it, to control it."

"Control it?" Elder Torifu questioned from where he sat nearby, hands propped on his thighs. His eyes were narrowed so that they seemed, at a distance, to be closed over his large cheeks. "She can control such chakra?"

Next to him, the Hokage stood with her arms crossed, eyes critical. "You intend to teach her senjutsu? At this young age? She will not have the control for it."

Miho kept herself level, knowing that the Hokage was correct.

She'd never had perfect chakra control. Nervous energy settled in the pit of her stomach and she tightly gripped the scroll.

Healer Ha scoffed. Lord Ki raised a paw and rested it over his eyes. Still, he didn't intercede as Grandfather Bear launched into an explanation. "Center Mountain is at the eye— epicenter— of the Four Cardinal Directions. The natural energy spins around the middle, never ceasing. It constellates and churns. It builds. Senjutsu? Senjutsu is not possible. Senjutsu is reliant on balance. Our chakra is constantly disturbed natural energy. Senjutsu? Not in the way that you understand it, youngin'."

"_Tenpenchii_…" The Hokage murmured.

Elder Torifu flinched.

Miho watched as Healer Ha stared at the Hokage and Elder Torifu, neither of which wavered under the giant bear's mighty glare. Not good. If they didn't get along then her training would be even more complicated. And she didn't have time for complications. Not with what was surely coming.

Healer Ha nodded. "_Tenpenchii_."

She didn't know what that word meant. Apparently, neither did Genma-sensei, who spoke up from where he leaned against a nearby tree. He shifted his senbon to the left side of his mouth, looking between the Bears, the Hokage, and Elder Torifu. "_Tenpenchii_? A vocab lesson would be helpful."

"Cataclysm." Lord Ki stated.

At the same time, her father raised his head from where he had been staring at the grass. His mane of hair seemed...more wild than usual. Perhaps the sanctions were- "A natural disaster befalling heaven and earth."

A natural disaster…

Three long, blaring beeps.

Miho jolted, losing focus on his face.

One long tone.

"It's disruption in natural energy."

Tearing metal and racing winds and I can't move.

_ I can still hear you sayin'_

Miho refocused, rolling her shoulders back. She had to stay focused. She had to stay focused. She had to breathe. She didn't have time to let the Images take over. She didn't have time for the memories. She didn't have time to waste. She kept wasting time.

"—energy is in the atmosphere, the earth, the plants and wildlife, in us. _Tenpenchii_ is…disruption in that energy. An imbalance." The Hokage explained. "Which is a type of energy in its own right."

"Then she must learn to control that chakra?"

Healer Ha used a claw to pick at his canine, shrugging his aged shoulders. She could hear them grind and pop. His smirk was somewhat caustic. "Eventually."

Elder Torifu smiled pleasantly, ever the politician. Miho felt as if she were watching a spar, looking back to Healer Ha for an answer. He never replied. He just snorted air through his nostrils, letting his jowls fluttered with the snort. She thought she saw some respect between them.

Miho swallowed, trying to wrap her mind around their conversation.

"Lord Ki, will I be able to use chakra-based techniques again? Will…Will something like what happened yesterday happen again?"

The Great Bear turned and smiled a bit. It was a comforting expression, like a father looking at a child.

Miho missed that expression on her own father's face. She studiously didn't look toward him.

"It is not likely something like that will happen again. It may though. Yes, cub. You will use chakra again. It will be difficult for some time, but you will succeed. You are now a Bear. You will learn Bear techniques, ones that use disturbance energy. You will have both the Akimichi techniques, which will draw on your body composition, and the Okuda techniques— which are better suited to your chakra. You will survive this. You will thrive after this."

"Better suited?" She glanced over to where her father sat, head now raised. He looked to Lord Ki. She watched worry flit across his face. "I know only what I saw Okuda Keisuke do. How is it that this…_tenpenchii_… chakra…is better suited to Okuda techniques?"

Healer Ha rumbled a laugh. "Did you not hear the story, youngin'?" Lord Ki made a hushing motion and Grandfather Ha snapped his snout shut, rolling his gray eyes toward the sky. He huffed and settled. Miho imagined he might've crossed his arms if he were feeling the tiniest bit more petulant. Her father's expression became a bit stonier. It was the Hokage that spoke however, surprising Miho.

"The Okuda were known as the 'Storm Clan' because they possessed a kekkai genkai, Storm Release." When Genma-sensei opened his mouth, he was silenced by a hand. Tsunade shook her head. "Not that mock-up by Kumogakure after the Okuda defected. The Okuda Storm Release was the real deal. That's why Kumo tried to eradicate them just after the Second War."

Miho felt as if she'd been punched.

_Eradicate._

"I remember when Okuda Keisuke arrived to Konoha with his father. The man was badly injured. His skin was… I tried to save him, but he died anyway. He went toe-to-toe with" The Hokage straightened her shoulders, squaring them to Lord Ki. "What is it you propose, Lord of the Bears? Akimichi Miho is in a unique situation."

Unique was an understatement. Miho realized how frustrated Ino must've been, given how often Miho herself tended toward understatements.

Her situation was an odd one. Her knowledge was now no longer a thing that truly set her apart. The Hokage, the Three Clan Heads, a select few jōnin, and Team Ten knew of what was to come. She was no longer a commodity. Still, she was guarded by ANBU constantly. Still, she wondered when the other shoe would drop.

"She will come to Center Mountain for a time, with her Master Torifu there as he has petitioned me to accompany her for training. This will be for a period of your twelve months. This is necessary lest she be destroyed by the chakra she now possesses."

Miho forgot to breath, fear lashing through her stomach when the Hokage nodded.

Twelve months.

Naruto would be leaving soon.

Sasuke was joining ANBU soon.

Tetsuya was restarting his training with Hayate-sensei soon, in earnest.

What if Akatsuki attacked?

What if she was needed here?

What good would she be if she couldn't use chakra?

She couldn't go on some kind of trip like Naruto though. Right? Naruto had to leave. He had to get away from Konoha, keep moving so that Akatsuki couldn't pin him down. Sasuke had to leave. He had to go underground, into ANBU, so that Orochimaru wouldn't find him. The other jinchuirki had to be saved, too. Gaara, Killer B, Fuu... What about the Mizukage? The war was coming and—

"Miho." Genma-sensei's voice drew her attention.

He raised a hand, palm flat.

Calm down.

The Hokage turned to Miho and she felt Genma-sensei push off the tree. "This is smart, Akimichi. We are still unsure how many of Danzō's followers are still out there. You're still at risk. And with your chakra all screwed up, you're a sitting duck." Tsunade made a thoughtful sound. "A sleeping bear?" Lord Ki snorted. She rolled her eyes, waving it off. "Regardless, this is the best course of action. You will go train at Center Mountain for a year with the Bears and Elder Torifu. Then, you'll return here to rejoin your team."

Miho looked to Genma-sensei. He nodded, smiling just a bit in that calm way that always set her mind at ease. "Tetsuya will train with Hayate in that time and I've got some work to do. We've all got work to do." Miho knew what that meant. He'd go full-time back into ANBU. "Don't worry and get things stable. The village will be fine in your absence. It will be okay."

She gulped down a breath, turning around to stare at her father. Her father, who met her eyes as steadily as he did before all of this started. Miho watched as he nodded. Beside him, her mother nodded as well.

"Miho, you should go. I will...I will cook you a big feast when you return."

Finally, she turned to Elder Torifu.

"Child, you must do this. There is no choice."

Miho tilted her chin back with a nod. The angle kept the tears at bay.

"Sunset? Today?"

Lord Ki smiled, great teeth shining in the morning light. "Of course, cub. You must tell your loved ones farewell." He gestured toward a scroll at her feet. A reverse summoning seal. "Set that out and stand upon it at sunset. At Center Mountain, you will not want for food and clothing. Bring all else that you need." The two bears disappeared into smoke.

* * *

**A/N:**

Next chapter is the last of Part I!

This has been such a journey so far. I'm incredibly grateful for all of the wonderful words of encouragement that readers have sent. My plan for the end of the year got messed up due to travel and a bought of the flu. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and look forward to the next one.

Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Stay tuned for the last chapter of Part I!


	27. Part I: Bookends

"Naruto."

Miho watched as her friend slid an arm over the countertop, pushing the assembled bags of chips, cookies, protein balls, and ramen cascaded onto a waiting expanded scroll on the floor. It was definitely efficient, but Miho cringed when some crunchy cookies shattered on the ground. They'd taste just as good broken. Naruto ignored her, using his bare foot to maneuver the snacks into a pile over the seal.

"Naruto."

He ignored her again, making sure that each bit of food was situated _just right_ on the seal. If he didn't get it all within the seal's perimeter, it wouldn't be stored. Fondness crept up on Miho and she felt a rush of _love_ for Naruto. There were at least five cups of instant ramen in that pile. He bolted upright, gasping, before he darted for his room. Miho let out a breath, watching him go.

"Naruto, it's seriously there's food th—"

"Just let him do it."

Sasuke was standing in the doorway to his room, arms crossed as he leaned into the frame. Miho wondered when he'd returned. His expression, as usual, was controlled. An almighty crash shook the floor of the apartment and, then and only then, did Sasuke grimace. Miho idly wondered if he regretted moving in—he had such a peaceful environment before. With the way he was eyeing her, Sasuke knew more than he was letting on by his silence.

"How much did you hear?"

"Messed up chakra. Probably will kill you. One year."

Miho shrugged at the summary. "Everything then. You're really good at masking your chakra."

"Naruto knew I was here."

Pursing her lips, Miho huffed a laugh. "Well, of course he did." Naruto could sense hiding ANBU. Of course he could sense Sasuke. Sasuke knew that Miho trusted Naruto's judgement. If Naruto wanted Sasuke to hear, then Miho accepted that. "Why not just…ask?" She already knew the answer to that, but she figured she'd ask anyway. What did she have to lose by it? "Instead of eavesdropping next time, enter the room."

"Naruto's your friend." The very clear _and I'm not_ was a bit damning, Miho had to admit. "It's your business as long as you pay your rent."

"Ah… about that…" At the flash of anger in Sasuke's dark eyes, Miho held up both hands. "Sorry, sorry. I'm kidding. I've got someone handling that for me. It's no problem."

Naruto waddled into the kitchen again, arms laden with more cups of ramen than Miho could count. They were stacked so high that she couldn't see his face. In her peripheral vision, she could see Sasuke press a couple fingers to his own forehead. Before Miho could stop him, Naruto dropped the ramen cups onto the scroll. "There."

"Naruto, you don't have to—" Something in his expression told Miho to stop. It was more severe than usual. At that moment, he looked way more like his father's carved face on the mountainside. "That's your ramen stash, Naruto."

"Don't want you to be hungry there." He shrugged, pushing around and arranging the snacks _just so_.

In the Images, Naruto had very little chakra control. Miho could remember that— from the story, from the other realities, from the memories. Her friend knelt down and pressed his hands to the seal. Just the right amount of chakra would draw the snacks into the seal. Anything less would be ineffective. Anything more would vaporize the food. Naruto gritted his teeth so hard that she could heard his jaw grind. The scroll glowed white and the food was gone. It sealed perfectly as the scroll minimized and rolled shut.

He grabbed it and held it out. "Take it, Miho."

Miho wrapped her arms around his neck instead, feeling him use the scroll to extend his arms and encircle her. One hand on either end of the scroll allowed him to loop his arm around her fully. Once she gained more weight back, such encompassing hugs would be impossible. And she'd probably miss that part about weighing less. Miho squeezed her eyes shut and enjoyed the feeling of being squeezed so tightly.

"Be careful." He squeezed so tight that Miho could barely draw a breath. Vaguely, Miho wondered when he'd gotten so strong. His voice was muffled in her shoulder. "— waiting on you, okay? So come back stronger and more kickass. I'll be stronger and more kickass, too, when I get back."

"Love you, Naruto."

She felt him flinch in her arms and then he was shuddering. Miho's sense of smell was more acute than others. Her family was a clan that thrived on smells— the scent of food, the sting of peppers, the draw of spices, the subtlety of teas. Miho could smell salt. He curved into her a bit more and, suddenly, he seemed smaller. "Love you, too."

"When you leave with Lord Jiraiya, take care, okay? Learn as much as you can. Grow as much as you can. And we'll see each other again soon. Then— Then we'll take on the world. Team Five. Team Seven. Team Ten. Eight. All of us. All of us." She lifted her eyes to see Sasuke half-turned in his doorway. She met his eyes. "Together."

He said nothing and disappeared in the shadow of his room, shutting the door as he went.

"That Snake Bastard won't get him." Naruto responded as he pulled away, dragging the back of his hand over his eyes. "And the band of Cloak-Wearing Jerks won't get me either." He reached up and sat a hand on Miho's shoulder while his other hand formed a thumbs-up. Naruto grinned. "When we see each other again, we'll be stronger."

Miho smiled. "Believe it."

"Believe it!"

* * *

Ino rolled her eyes, impatiently elbowing Shikamaru out of the way. Enough force was put into the action that he gasped and staggered, affecting a Nara Mope as soon as he lifted his head again. "Look, you can think this through later." Miho grinned at the Nara over Ino's shoulder. "She's got a timeline to keep. She can't run on Nara Time, okay?" Shikamaru sighed, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head. His eyes were critical though and Miho could see he was quickly reconfiguring whatever plans he'd already laid for the next several years.

"Exactly how many plans just went up in smoke?" Ino huffed, slumping down in Miho's arms. Miho kept her aloft easily enough, ignoring her friend's muttered complaints. "C'mon, Shikamaru. I know you. Apparently, you didn't have a contingency for this."

"I was…anticipating something else." He was overly cautious in his phrasing and that got Ino to pull away and stare him down. He grimaced. "Elder Torifu was going to teach you."

"He still is. He's going with me to Center Mountain." Miho smiled. "That can't have been your _plan_, whatever it was."

Shikamaru's shoulders rounded as if the weight of the world was upon them. Miho could read him after all these years. When he diverted his eyes like that, it's because _he didn't want to say something_. And when Shikamaru avoided saying something…

"Out with it then. What's your problem?" Ino, apparently, wasn't in the mood. "Spit it out if you're gonna be dramatic."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. He finally brought his eyes back around and they were piercing. "If you're away, Chōji and you can't work things out. The whole situation will stagnate and neither of you will heal." Miho felt her smile faltering a bit before it was gone. Guilt struck her. Like it was her responsibility to make sure Chōji healed. Maybe it was. Miho wasn't so sure anymore. "If you go— with how things are now— nothing will ever change."

_Chōji_ won't change.

Miho always knew Chōji was Shikamaru's top priority. They were best friends. They were brothers. She never doubted Shikamaru's support, friendship, or anything else. She didn't doubt it now. With the way he was staring at her, Miho got the feeling that he expected _more_.

"Yeah? Maybe he should've thought of that—"

"Ino." Miho grabbed her arm. "Stop." Miho knew, better than anyone, that she was Ino's top priority. She patted Ino's arm and smiled. Ino scoffed, running a hand through her hair. Like she always did when she wanted to yell and had to hold back. "I know you spoke with him weeks ago. I know…I know he wants to try. I know he's been training every single day. To get stronger. To protect me."

Shikamaru didn't blink. "So, you do know about that?"

"I'm his _sister,_ Shikamaru. Of course I know." Miho tried not to let her voice shake. The moment it waivered she saw Shikamaru's eyes narrow and Ino's back straighten. "I know he's upped his caloric intake to 12,000." Ino's mouth dropped open and Shikamaru cursed. "I know he's started a more intense weight-training regimen. I know he's been training with our father every spare second and has taken up Earth Release techniques, too. I know Asuma-sensei is teaching him some weapons techniques when he's in town. I know Chōji knows how much weight I've gained back. What my caloric intake is. How I'm training. How often I go to the Memorial Stone. Because he's there when he can be. Even if he doesn't talk to me. Even if he keeps his distance. Shikamaru, I know my brother." Swallowing, she rolled her shoulders back and raised her chin.

Miho shifted and moved forward, carefully embracing Shikamaru for the first time in what felt like forever. She was never physically close to him. Not like Ino and Naruto, who were very tactile people. He was stiff and didn't move to hug back. His stance did become more relaxed though, when he realized she wasn't letting go.

"I'm sorry I'm leaving so much weight on your shoulders. All of you."

"It's not about that." The Nara drawled, clearing his throat. "We will figure out the future. Just…It's a drag, but…Talk to him before you leave." Miho moved away, watching Shikamaru stuff his hands into his pockets. "Come back when you're ready. We'll be here." He glanced to Ino and turned, waving blindly over his shoulder. Miho assumed he was off to find Chōji somewhere, to check on him before his guard shift.

Ino threaded her arm under Miho's and pulled her toward a dango stand. In front of the dango stand was a small picnic table where they'd spent hours and hours of their time before. During their Academy years, they'd found this place a few blocks from the school. A takoyaki stand was nearby. It closed down after the Invasion.

"Do the Bears know?"

Miho shook her head, pulling a sleeve of cookies from her pocket. Ino idly took one and sat on top of the table, folding one leg over the other. Miho wondered what Ino was thinking with her expression so conflicted.

"Are you going to tell them?"

"About which part?"

"_Him._ The Images. What's coming. Or what might be coming. With Sasuke still here and the Old Geezer dead, who knows what will happen." That didn't quite explain Ino's expression. Miho reached up and poked her friend's thigh, raising her brows. "Okay, fine." That definitely caught Miho off-guard. Ino threw herself off the table and started pacing. "I'm joining the Intelligence Division. I asked Lady Hokage for the appointment."

The Intelligence Division? Not Medical? Why would she…

A bright white light. The explosion. In the distance, on the horizon.

Miho felt herself stop breathing.

Ino stopped, hands going to her hips.

"It's my decision." Ino was challenging Miho to argue it. To tell her not to start down that path. To demand she do _anything but that_. "It's _my_ decision, Miho."

Miho knew what Ino was doing. Placing herself on a path to her father's side. Maybe even her father's place. She was making a path for Headquarters. Allied Shinobi Headquarters. Just in case. Just in case there was a war and the Ten Tails was summoned. Just in case. A sick feeling curdled in Miho's stomach. "Ino—"

"Don't. I'm doing it."

Seeing that there was no arguing with her, Miho sighed. She felt the fight drain away. Now, she just felt tired. As if she'd already watched the next five years in fast-forward. Ino, caught in that explosion. Ino, not there during the final battle. Ino, who was the lynchpin in so many ways. Ino, who took her father's place. Ino. Her best friend.

Still, Miho gave in— because she had to respect Ino's decision. She had to respect Ino. "You sure are stubborn."

Ino sighed and nodded, pressing her hand to her own forehead. "I've been called worse."

* * *

Tetsuya's hair was fine. It was fine and long— longer than she had ever seen it. Miho vaguely wondered if he was growing it out for Koji. Koji, whose blue hair once fell to his shoulders. The green bandana lay clutched in his fist, which rested on his chest. For a moment, Miho forgot that she only had a couple hours left. It was just a normal day. This was their habit, their tradition. Her fingers threaded through his hair, brushing it back.

"My grandmother disowned me yesterday."

Miho stopped, hand resting on the hair that lay on her thigh. "Wha—What— When—"

He kept his eyes shut. He was feigning peace. "Hayate-sensei said his genin teammate was disowned before their chūnin exams. He's helping me with the legal process."

"Tetsuya…Are you okay?" That was a stupid question, she knew. She felt stupid saying it. He shrugged, folding his hands over his stomach after waving her off. Miho couldn't quite wrap her head around the peacefulness of his reaction. He seemed…at ease. "What happened?"

"I went back to the estate to get my father's weapons. She threatened to disown me if I left again." Tetsuya's eyes opened and he stared up at the sky. The sun was just beginning to edge toward the horizon. Only a few hours more. "I left. No way was I staying there. I took my mother's stuff too. She had no right to that anyway." With that said, he rolled his legs back and threw them forward, following the momentum to sit upright. "Hayate-sensei said that she has no legal claim to me. Not anymore. We're filing the disownment papers tomorrow morning."

Miho watched his shoulders. Tetsuya always carried tension in his shoulders. She couldn't see anything but resignation and acceptance. Shifting to her knees, Miho reached forward and rested her arms around his shoulders. She leaned onto his back, knowing that it might be the last time she could rest her weight on him like this.

His hands held onto her forearms.

"I don't feel anything. Not disappointment. Not…hurt. Nothing." He raised his head and Miho angled her chin to let him look upward. "I'll be _Tetsuya_. Just Tetsuya. Like Koji… was just Koji."

Miho didn't want to ask, but she did anyway. "Was it—because—because of—Naruto?"

Tetsuya let out a breath. "Yeah. That was kinda the last straw. I'm _cavorting with the demon brat_." Miho flinched. "This was a long time coming though. After what you told me, I— I'm afraid of what I might've been… if you weren't here. My grandmother…She allowed the Warhawk to do what he did. She…She let that monster do what he wanted. If I didn't make it into our team…would I have been given to that man?" Miho tried to pull back, but Tetsuya wound his hands fully around her wrists, holding her in place. "You're my family now. Family isn't always blood. You, Genma-sensei, Hayate-sensei, Lee, and yeah, Naruto, too." He leaned forward and pressed his chin to her arms. "I don't need to Utatane name. All I need is a sword and my…How does Naruto always say it? My precious people."

They didn't talk for a long time. Miho didn't feel like words were really necessary. Miho shifted and laid down on the grass of Training Field Five. Tetsuya did the same.

She just stayed there and he just stayed there.

And they just _were._

"Kids."

Miho opened her eyes to see Genma-sensei leaning over them, senbon shifting to the side of his mouth as he looked down. "Stop being cute and get up." Miho and Tetsuya didn't move.

Then, with a roll of his eyes, Genma-sensei sat. Miho turned and mirrored his cross-legged posture. Tetsuya groaned dramatically as he did the same, resting his cheek against his fisted hand. Genma-sensei took a deep breath and pulled the senbon from his lips. "Not gonna bother sayin' that a year is nothing. It's not nothing. Our team has been through some shit." Tetsuya snorted. "When we come together again, we're probably gonna go through _more shit_."

"You're not really inspiring much confidence, Boss."

"It's the truth." Genma-sensei shot back. His laidback drawl pulled away like the tide. Miho felt her back straighten when she saw her teacher's demeanor shift. "Normally, genin are restricted from apprenticeships before reaching chūnin. The Hokage has made an exception. Tetsuya's apprenticeship with Hayate. Miho's apprenticeship with Elder Torifu. These things aren't normal. Nothing about all of this is normal." Miho didn't look away, didn't look down. He was right. None of it was normal. "The things Seven endured there…What happened to them…"

"We're paying the price for it." Tetsuya said. His voice was even and Miho pressed her lips together. She could see Tetsuya nod in her peripheral vision. "Genma-sensei, we know."

"When you come back together, Team Five will be different."

Miho nodded.

They'd be different people. She had no idea how they'd change, but she knew they would. She knew she would. A year was a short time, but it was enough time. It was enough time for lots of things to change.

"I am proud of you both. Who you've grown to be. Who you are. I'm proud of Team Five. And I look forward to being your teacher again…one year from now." He reached up and removed the senbon. The smile that came over his face was comforting, encouraging. It held so much _belief_ in them that Miho was in awe of it. "Book Club—"

"Let's get it."

* * *

She stopped at the center of the rock garden, on a slab of granite settled into the sand. A few feet away, her father sat on the ens. His hands were resting on his thighs as he stared across the garden toward the goldening trees. Their leaves were just beginning to turn, bright golds and oranges. Soon, the leaves would fall onto the sand of the garden, catching in the ripples. The sun was beginning to cast long shadows, making those ripples seem even more prominent.

Whichever one of her cousins had been tasked with the garden this season had cut the ripples in such a way that they extended out from the porch, from her father's usual seat.

"You have already seen your mother?"

"Yes. I have."

He nodded. His eyes opened and Miho held them. She stood a bit straighter, feeling the two bō on her back guiding her posture.

"I'm going to tell Chōji goodbye and then I'm meeting Elder Torifu."

Miho swallowed as her father nodded. He said nothing. Nothing, even now. She felt her anger begin to lash, a strange out-of-control emotion that she tried to wrangle. When his eyes trailed from her face to the ripples in the sand to her knee, Miho lost her patience.

"You made a mistake. You kept telling me to trust others. Trust them, trust us, trust me, Miho. You kept telling me to trust. And then, when Chōji trusted you, you betrayed him. You betrayed me. And then, when you realized, I think you knew it was already too late. Too late in…a lot of ways." Miho took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She rolled her shoulders back and counted down from ten in her head before finding center and starting again. "One day, we might be close again. I don't know when that will be. Chōji was hurt more than I was, I think. Chōji is the one you need to protect now. Chōji's the one whose faith you need to restore."

"Miho—"

She'd never heard her father's voice shake like that.

"I was wrong." Her father lifted his eyes from blankly staring. "I should have listened. I should have believed in you. I will never stop trying to be better for you, for Chōji. I need to restore your faith too. You're my daughter." He met her eyes. "I'm sorry, Miho."

Swallowing, Miho bowed. As she stared down at the granite beneath her feet and the rippling sand around the stone, Miho could feel her father shift. She felt him stand. "I learned to trust, Father. It may be some time before I can trust you again, but I found others that I do trust. With my life. With everything. And someday, I hope that I will be able to trust you again." Miho lifted herself up. "I'm leaving so I can learn what I need to…to protect my friends and family. I'll be the shield I said I was going to be."

Her father's voice was steady. "I will earn back your trust, Miho."

Miho didn't answer. She just nodded.

She hoped he would.

She desperately, desperately_ hoped_.

* * *

Miho found Chōji a section of the Akimichi training field with the heaviest damage. No trees. No grass. No plants. It was a wasteland of rocks and boulders and dirt. Generally, that area was reserved for jōnin with hardhitting jutsu who needed the space. Chōji sat with his back against a boulder. The sun was touching the horizon now, painting Chōji in a golden light that made him seem younger somehow. It was then that Miho realized just how old she felt. She felt outside of her body. Like she was seeing herself walk across the dirt on a two-dimensional screen. She hated the sensation.

"Hey, brother."

_ There's an endless road to rediscover._

"Miho." He pushed himself up. His clothes were filthy, matted with dirt, sweat, and blood. She could see specks of blood on his knees from scrapes. His bandana was gone, hair sticking up at wild angles. Her brother was a mess. "You're leaving, aren't you? I—I—"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Shikamaru talked to you, didn't he?"

Chōji nodded. A conflicted expression made Miho's stomach churn. To see her brother so… His hands fisted at his sides before he finally exhaled. His shoulders fell and he seemed to deflate. Her brother came to a decision. Whatever it was, Miho got the feeling…It was something that she needed to hear.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry all of this happened, Miho. It all happened because of me. I'm sorry for Koji. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you." He looked up. "I never should've—I never should've told our fathter. I know I can't take it back. I know I'll have to earn your trust again. I know…I know I'm not the brother you thought I was. I disappointed you. I won't. I won't disappoint you again."

Miho knew her brother was one of the most determined people she knew. At times, his determination— quiet as it was— seemed more powerful than even Naruto's or Lee's. "Chōji, please, just…" She held out both arms. And they were shaking. "Please just come here."

Chōji stared at her before his eyes filled with tears. He closed the distance faster than she expected. Her brother was never particularly fast, but he was there in an instant. He sobbed into her shoulder and Miho felt him grasping her just as dearly as he ever did.

"You're always going to be my brother, Chōji."

And he clung to her like she was the only stable thing. Miho knew she wasn't stable. She wasn't steady at all.

She let Chōji believe she was though.

"I'll get stronger, Miho. I-I promise."

Miho nodded, pressing her face into his meaty shoulder. "I will too. I promise."

* * *

"You have said your goodbyes?" Elder Torifu questioned. His arms were folded as he stood at the edge of the weapons training field. There were three different types of staffs strapped to his back. She could see a pack on his shoulder, laden down with scrolls upon scrolls. Miho bowed, rising up to look at the large summoning scroll nearby. "Miho, did you say your goodbyes?"

Jerking at the reminder of his question, Miho nodded. "Lee's on a mission. I left him a letter."

"Your father and brother?"

Miho nodded again. She didn't know what Elder Torifu wanted to hear, but she didn't have time to summarize. He stepped forward and sat a heavy, meaty hand on her shoulder. Though she knew his body ached, he leaned forward from his huge height and met her eyes.

"This next year will be difficult. It will be more intense than all your years of training combined. Not only will you be learning new techniques, you will also be recovering what you have lost." He smiled. "I am an old man. I do not have many years left." Hearing those world aloud sent a sick feeling through Miho's gut. "I will teach you all that I know. I will help you learn from the Bears. I will help you learn the legacy of the Okuda and the Akimichi. You are my final student, Miho. I will do right by you. I swear it. By the Will of Fire, I swear it."

She could see the white beginning to enter his pupils and the hair loss he his under his bandanna. "I'll do my best, Master Torifu."

He smiled, moving the hand from her shoulder to the top of her head.

They stepped onto the seal as the sun struck the horizon. The energy surged beneath their feet. Miho could feel the chakra's tendrils wrapping up her legs, torso, chest, and head. Then, the training ground faded and she opened her eyes to her new home. Miho let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Familiar painted and etched walls welcomed her. Lord Ki, Grandfather Ha, and Shinrin stood on their hind legs nearby. Lord Ki threw his head back and roared, a welcome that Miho felt resonated in her heart just as much as her head. Elder Torifu settled his hand onto her shoulder again as Shinrin came to her side, nuzzling at the newly-recovered weight at her middle. Growls and roars echoed in the chamber, answering Lord Ki's welcome.

Miho turned to see a gathering of bears, large and small, old and young.

Their growls and roars sounded like thunder.

* * *

**A/N:** That's it for Part I! Part II begins March 2020! Thank you so much for reading this story so far! Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Please leave me your thoughts on the story thus far! I'm looking forward to Part II.


	28. Part II: Blank Pages

**Part II**

"Chuckles, you need a better poker face, my man."

Miho grinned, shifting her stance as Shin schooled his features into a passive mask. Still his eyes danced with mirth. He was so obviously amused, baiting Tetsuya with occasional raised eyebrows and thoughtful taps to his chin. Each movement was exaggerated, with a hint of unnecessary flourish that made her giggle. Whether this was strategy or simply for his own entertainment, Miho wasn't quite sure. Tetsuya scowled, giving Shin a swat.

"Please, I did the emotionless thing for years. Cut me some slack." Shin winked in Miho's direction, earning an incredulous snort from her. "This is going to be a disaster." Shin's observation was casual, delivered as if sharing a bit of juicy gossip. His arms crossed as he leaned back against the wall. "An absolute disaster."

He was probably right.

The room was tense.

Despite being deprived of emotions for years under Danzō's thumb, Shin was incredibly well-attuned to emotion. He could read people, understand them and their motivations. Miho took a bite from her cookie and watched as teams from the various hidden villages separated themselves.

Sunagakure. Takigakure. Kusagakure.

The tense atmosphere was underscored by the howling wind outside, the obvious exhaustion everyone was feeling, and the continuing rivalries. Miho couldn't remember anything— if it even occurred before— from that other world. This joint exam happened, she was sure, but she couldn't remember it.

The Hokage took that as a halfway decent sign.

Not a big enough fiasco to be remembered. Not a huge plot point.

_"We'll fill in the gaps."_ Lady Tsunade had grinned, like she'd already won something.

Miho wasn't quite so sure.

The whole exam was a farce.

The Hokage and the Kazekage were using it to draw out the Akatsuki. If they could prove there was a threat, then the other nations might be quicker to respond. They had to know that the Akatsuki wouldn't be that easy to deal with, but Miho left it to brighter minds than her own to figure things out.

As it stood, Miho just had to follow orders. Those orders included participating in the chūnin exams and monitoring the other teams.

With a sigh, she nodded. "This is gonna be a mess."

Team Ten was stationed elsewhere in the building, with the other exam proctors. Team Gai stood nearby, quietly assessing the other second exam entrants. For a moment, Miho met Lee's eyes. He nodded, calmly reassuring and confident. As always. Lee was constant and consistent. TenTen smiled, moving to settle herself at the table. A moment later, Sakura settled herself down as well.

"Did Gluten Free pout about getting replaced?"

TenTen snorted, shaking her head. "Please. He was smug as hell."

Sakura raised her brows in question, looking around. "Gluten Free?"

"Neji." Tetsuya and Shin said at the same time.

"My Great Friends Neji and Miho have found a wonderous relationship in which they have Meaningful Nicknames. It warms my heart that they are so—" Lee received a firm bop to the head from TenTen while Miho grimaced, equal parts thankful and irritated. "Regardless! Neji did wish us the best in this endeavor and sent the same sentiments to you!"

"Did he really?" Miho raised her brows, waiting as Lee began to deflate under her stare.

"No, not really. However, I am sure that he felt such in his heart." Lee finished lamely, hanging his head. Laughing a bit, Miho reached over the table and patted his hand. He perked up at the contact, smiling brightly as if his energy had been restored. "We are, of course, ever thankful the Sweet Flower Sakura joined our team."

Sakura shrugged, carding a hand through her pink hair. "I'm happy you all let me join you for this. I'm sure we'll do well."

Honestly, Miho thought Team Gai was a powerhouse line-up. TenTen was one hell of a weapons mistress, absolutely vicious in battle. Lee was on track to actually inherit Gai-sensei's taijutsu skill. And Sakura was the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage, with her strength and medical prowess to boot. Stacked team.

Her chair vibrated and then the whole room shook. Thump. Thump. Thump. Recognizing the vibrations as steps, Miho turned to see a large man stepping away from his chair at a table on the other side of the room.

He looked quite a lot like her Uncle Zosui, with the build of a sumo wrestler. His jowls were swinging. Uncle Zosui was one of the largest members of her clan. That kind of fat storage required patience and determination. She could see a sheen of sweat on his skin. The room was already warm. She knew the back of her head was a bit damp from the heat. Her eyes tracked around the room to see that others were watching his movements.

Some, with scorn.

Some, with fear.

When she focused on him again, she saw the food he was eyeing.

The situation was easy to size up.

Pun absolutely, enthusiastically intended.

Miho pushed herself out of her chair, walking toward the end of the buffet. The sweat was even more visible as she got closer.

His weight had likely taken a decade or longer to accumulate. With his sweating, that meant that it was either insulating for a cooler climate or…there was an underlying cause. She could feel the people behind and around her tense as he reached for a pastry. Her instincts were right then. Seems that people were the same no matter where they were from.

"Here! I can grab you something. What would like?"

This was Akimichi practice.

She had barely realized that her actions would be seen as odd to anyone outside of the clan.

It was only polite to help a larger member of the clan to get food at events when they could not do so easily themselves.

Outside of battle situations, the Akimichi sometimes were not as delicate in their actions and movements.

That had been a lesson she had to learn at Center Mountain.

It took her a year to learn delicacy, patience, and control.

His hand stopped and his attention fell on her. For a moment, Miho wondered if he would be offended. Despite his large size and sweating, he actually smelled quite nice. Like some kind of flower. This was kekkai genkai, she realized. She wasn't sure if it was the sweat or the weight. Or both. Idly, Miho sat her hands on her hips, waiting for a response.

His attention tracked down from her face to her too-wide hips and stomach. To the fat accumulated there.

After a moment, the Kusa-nin smiled. His smile was so wide she couldn't see his eyes. He definitely reminded her of her Uncle Zosui. "I wanted to get some dinner, but dinner's always best when dessert is first."

Miho laughed, nodding her head. "Can't argue that." She grabbed a plate and flipped it to show both sides. It was a demonstration to show that she didn't do anything funny to it. "I'm Akimichi Miho." She sat three, then four, pieces of pie onto his plate. She continued to pile as many different desserts as possible onto it. "You going for one plate or two?"

He snorted. "Two. I'm Burami." Miho finished the first plate and handed it over, smiling even as she could feel others cringe as a drop of sweat nearly missed the cake. Miho didn't cringe. "Sure are a nervous bunch, aren't they? Probably just worried they're gonna lose to the likes of me." Idly glancing around, he met Miho's eyes and winked. He sighed, slouching down. "They're afraid of a little sweat, huh?"

Miho finished piling a bunch of donuts onto the plate, eyeing him. "Personally, I think you're actively trying to freak them out." She handed the plate over and he laughed. The great booming sound seemed to shake the sweat from his arm, down onto some of the food. She could hear a few shrieks and dramatic hurling noises.

"Little old me? No." He winked, closing the short distance between his eyelids. "Sweat can't ruin food anyway. Adds flavoring."

Miho nodded, starting to turn back to her table. She definitely didn't agree, but—

"Yo, if I see you out there, I won't kill ya."

Very carefully, Miho ignored the thrill of fear that shot through her stomach. Instead, she just drew back her shoulders. "Yeah? I figured politely helping you get food would at least earn me an assist."

"Could've gotten the food myself." He responded, but seemed no less amused. Burami thunderously ambled back to his table. The whole room shook as he moved.

Miho returned to her seat, earning a few incredulous looks from Teams Gai, Eight, and Five.

Tetsuya and Shin were talking quietly between themselves, obviously unbothered.

"Just what the shit was that about, eh?" Kiba questioned, pointing his finger toward the Kusa table. Bored, Miho drew out a protein ball and popped it into her mouth. The chocolatey flavor was comforting. Paired with the prunes from Center Mountain, it made the fear in her stomach ebb away. "Hello? I'm talking to you, fatty."

_"What's Pretty Ino doin' talkin' to that fatty?"_

A hand came to rest on her knee, grasping there with such force that Miho wondered if she'd have bruises. Her eyes trailed over to Tetsuya's scowling face. She could see it there, like she did every so often…the guilt. That's what he used to call her, when they were children. He didn't look at her, staring Kiba down with angry brown eyes.

"Shut up, Inuzuka."

Shin smiled. Not so casually, he twirled one of his sai.

"Kiba…" Hinata trailed off, trying to reel her teammate back into something resembling politeness. Miho caught the Hyuuga's eyes, shaking her head. Let Kiba be annoying. He was so good at it after all. Besides, there was some truth to his words.

She was fat after all.

She knew what it was like to be judged from afar.

"Can you imagine what would've happened if his sweat actually got onto the food? I bet the whole room would've imploded. None of us can risk a brawl."

"We could take them!" Kiba shouted, jumping out of his chair. "Who are you to—"

Sighing, Miho glanced over to Shino. It was actually Shin who stood up, black eyes seeming impossibly cold. His eyes were as black as his sai and just as sharp, too. Tetsuya's nickname was both truth and irony.

'Chuckles' wasn't very amused, and he was staring down Kiba like he was nothing more than an annoying insect. An insect he'd be peachy-keen to stab. Stabbing was Shin's thing. Shino turned his head, obviously sensing Shin's roiling energy.

"Sit down and shut up."

"And don't call her 'fat ass' again." Tetsuya added, idly dragging a whet stone over his sword. Miho tried not to snort, but failed. He was ridiculous. He'd just sharpened that sword just after they'd arrived a few hours ago. Which meant he was doing it for dramatic effect. His look told her not to say a word.

"Yes, Kiba, your words are most unyouthful."

"Kiba, shut your trap, okay?"

Sakura and Lee spoke at the same time. Sakura looked over to Lee and smiled. Miho saw how red Rock's cheeks got. Bless him. He was still carrying that flame. She had figured as much, but never asked. Miho shifted and drew a bag of cookies from the pocket of her vest, setting it down at the center of the table.

"Kiba, you should be mindful of what you say. Why? Because Akimichi Miho is a friend."

'Friend' was a strong word for Kiba, but Miho didn't argue it.

Shino's voice was level, even. He received a proud look from Hinata, whose scowl was then turned on Kiba. The loudmouth was either going to settle down or double-down and Miho didn't know him nearly well enough to anticipate one way or another. As his hands fisted on the table, she could see that he was edging toward the latter.

Luckily (or rather, unluckily?) a window on the far side of the space exploded inward. Miho turned, angling her body defensively in front of her teammates. Dropping her center of gravity lower. She could feel Tetsuya angling and Shin preparing to—

A girl flew in through the window, landing on what used to be the Amegakure table. The room fluttered into defensive positions, each ninja settling into katas or the first of several seals. The girl held up both hands, grinning like a lark.

"TA-DA!"

Miho leaned back, trying to get a look at more than just the girl's upheld arms.

Familiar.

The girl was familiar. Light green-blue hair, darker skin, amber eyes. A sick feeling struck Miho's gut, swishing around like motion sickness. Her heart began to beat wildly. The sense of it was like anxiety, curling up around her esophagus. Fū.

That was her name. Her name of Fū.

And Miho couldn't quite breathe.

"I'm Fū! From Takigakure! I came here to the Chūnin Exams to make a hundred friends!"

Fū …The jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails.

The Seven-Tails looked like a moth.

There'd been a moth at her mother's house in that other life, attached to the railroad tie wall next to the basement. It was bright green and so large that, when she was little, she thought it might as well have been an animal. She didn't want it to stay on that wall. It would get eaten.

Swallowing her last bite of a cookie roughly, Miho reached out blindly for Tetsuya. She found his knee and settled her hand there, squeezing it. She felt his gloved hand rest on top, fingers cinching around hers. Though he couldn't know who Fū was, she could feel him edging forward on his seat.

"So, guys! What's the plan after dinner?"

The girl— No, she had to be Miho's age or so, maybe a little older— looked around for a response. For anyone to respond. For anyone to acknowledge her. A few scoffed. No doubt hearing those scoffs, Fū sat both hands on her narrow hips.

"How about we all take a bath together?"

"Seriously, what's with her?"

Completely ignoring the loud kunoichi, the assembled shinobi fell out of their defensive stances. They went back to their conversations as if nothing had happened. Ignoring Fū as if she were nothing. This was familiar. Not because she'd seen it before, but because this was exactly how Naruto was treated. Miho's eyes tracked over the forced happiness on Fū's face to the swirling sand outside. The wind was howling.

"Ignoring Kiba being an idiot…" TenTen started.

Miho pushed herself up again, eyes falling back onto Fū. Her bright eyes were looking around the room for something, anything. Any indication she was heard.

It was too familiar.

It was too similar.

"Don't. Let her go." She heard Tetsuya's voice somewhere in the fog. Miho wondered if that was Shin's hand she'd felt on her shoulder. Or Lee's. They both had strong grips. They both were the type to hold on.

Maybe it was stupid. Seeing Naruto in Fū.

Maybe that was unfair somehow. Miho wasn't sure.

She just…couldn't not.

Fū saw her approaching, a flash of caution behind the sparkling amber of her eyes. Miho was familiar with that too. Naruto had that sometimes, whenever someone was unexpectedly kind or welcoming. Trauma did that to a person. Kindness, sometimes, couldn't be trusted.

Before Miho could say anything, Lee appeared at her shoulder.

"That was a youthful entrance!"

Turning, Miho almost smiled at his grin. He held a thumb up, eyes sparkling with energy. That energy was reflected back at him when Fū returned the pose after only a second of hesitation.

"Thanks! I think your jumpsuit's pretty awesome!"

And Miho wondered if maybe Lee fell in love right in that moment.

His head turned to Miho almost mechanically, looking for confirmation that he'd heard right. Smiling, Miho nodded. Something sparked in his wide eyes. "YOSH! You said you were looking for friends! I will be the first friend you make at this Chūnin Exam of Friendship! My name is Rock Lee of Konohagakure!" He danced around and produced a flower from one of his hip packs. Miho wondered if he kept the prop on his specifically for this reason.

"Woah! How did you do that? Did you just make a rainbow appear?"

Before things could get too complicated, Miho stepped forward and held out a hand. "We haven't quite figured out how he does it. You're lucky to get a flower. He's stingy with them." Lee squawked a protest. "I'm Akimichi Miho. Also from Konoha. I guess you can count me as Friend #2."

For a moment, Fū looked absolutely, positively dumbstruck. "Say what? Seriously?"

Lee hooked an arm around Miho's shoulder and winked. He was trying to act cool and Miho had to bite down a laugh.

"Do you guys wanna play cards? Backgammon?"

Miho heard a scoff from behind her and she turned, dragging Lee with her in the movement. Tetsuya strolled up, hands hooked into his pockets. His sword was strapped to his back, an ever-present reminder of his skills. He did a not-so-subtle once-over of Fū before shrugging. Miho didn't miss the look he sent her, brows raised. Minutely, Miho nodded.

"Backgammon is only for two players. Looks like we've got at least four. Let's go for poker."

It looked as if Fū might cry from happiness.

"Hell no. Shinobi poker is a bad idea. Definitely a Bad Idea." TenTen called from the table, crossing her arms in an 'x.' Shin appeared vaguely interested, the corners of his lips tipping upward. Sakura and Hinata were obviously a bit more hesitant. "Go Fish is a better idea."

"Boooring. I'm outta here. See ya, losers." Kiba pressed a hand to his forehead as he made his dramatic, huffing exit. Shino watched his teammate leave before looking to Hinata.

"I— I think I'll take my leave as well. Good luck, everyone, tomorrow." Hinata stepped away with a bow. She was followed by Shino, who no doubt would see her to her room.

Without Neji nearby, her teammates were likely asked to stay near her while on foreign soil.

They were only four rounds into poker – which was, as TenTen thought, a Bad Idea – when there was a yell from outside. Then, a howl. Miho was on her feet in an instant, arriving to the open window at the same time Fū and Lee did.

"Did someone seriously go outside? Giant scorpions come out at night during this time of year." A local, one of the Suna kunoichi, grimaced.

"Scorpions?" Sakura's voice echoed.

Miho couldn't see anything in the whirling sand, but she could hear the distinct yelp of a dog and a string of yelled curses. She knew that voice. "It's Kiba!" Fū was in the window and leaping out before anything else could be said. Gulping down a swell of anxiety, Miho looked at the window and decided better of it.

There was no way she could fit through the space without getting cut on the glass. And the angle wouldn't be helpful either.

"Lee."

He saluted, climbing into the window. He leapt down into the sandstorm.

When she arrived outside, it was to the dead body of a huge scorpion – as big as a building. Miho felt her jaw drop. On the ground near one of its pincers was Kiba, holding one of his arms. To his huge credit, he threw himself off the ground and toward Akamaru, who was whimpering near another pincer.

"What in the world is going on here?"

Sakura hustled over to Kiba, quietly reprimanding him to stay still while she healed him. Her hands glowed green in the barely-lit night. Meanwhile Kiba continued to fret over his partner. For all of his faults, and there were many of them, Kiba cared about his partner to no end.

Looking up, Miho could see Fū dancing about on top of the scorpion's carcass. Lee appeared a moment later, smiling broadly as he watched Fū dance. Miho saw it, that same spark as before, in Lee's expression.

It didn't bode well.

Because Miho distinctly remembered that only two jinchūriki made it to the end of the show.

"H-Hey! You two good?"

Both stopped and held a thumb up. When they saw that they'd both given distinctly similar responses, both fell into excited giggles. They launched into some sort of high energy mirroring game.

"Oh Kami, there's two of them." Tetsuya sighed at her left. "Two."

Shin materialized to her right. "Don't be such a buzz kill, sweetheart." _Sweetheart._ Miho swallowed down a laugh. Tetsuya huffed. "Let them have fun."

"There's a difference between fun and…that."

"The Second Exam begins before dawn!"

Bless her heart, Temari sounded so frustrated. Miho had to admit, it seemed that Konoha had gotten out with the easier part of the test. Which meant that Shikamaru had gotten the easier part of the test. Chewing on her cheek, Miho reached for a bag of chips. That, in particular, had to annoy Temari to no end.

"Get inside!"

She'd need to get a message to Team Ten. They'd need to get word to the Hokage. Fū's presence changed things. If she was here, then she was just as much of a target as…

Turning, Miho watched as Gaara materialized from sand next to Gai-sensei and Temari. His arms were crossed as he looked up at the dancing ninja on top of the building-sized scorpion.

"Lee! Get down here!"

Lee turned and went still, noticing that their show was now much more public. He reached over and settled a hand on Fū's shoulder. She immediately went still, looking to Lee with wide eyes.

Miho wondered, idly, if she was just as unused to friendly touches as Naruto had been. Lee immediately apologized, retracting his hand as if it were on fire.

"Lord Kazkage, Gai-sensei!"

Temari turned to the gathered crowd. "Well? Get back to your quarters!"

Folding his arms behind his head, Tetsuya turned and started walking, humming under his breath as he moved. Shin raised his brows, grinning around at the chaos. Miho could only imagine how entertained he was. Lee bowed to Gaara and gave Gai-sensei his best shiny-eyed smile.

"It was good of you to help them. If you hadn't, you would have less rivals tomorrow." The statement was directed toward Fū.

Miho turned, starting to follow the others back to the dormitories. There was suddenly an arm hooked around her shoulder. She heard Lee's familiar yelp. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see pale blue-green hair and dark skin. Somehow, Fū had her in a headlock with Lee. Miho hadn't even sensed the girl's approach.

"I don't care about rivals or allies."

She let them go. Miho was damn near incredulous when she felt a hand ruffling her hair. The mane was already wild enough without Fū's wild mussing. While Miho was stunned, Lee looked about ready to cry Tears of Youth. He adored when his hair was ruffled. She might as well have watched his Sakura Crush turn to dust.

Her friend was a goner.

"Hey, we can be friends, too! What's your name?"

Pushing all of her hair forward over her face, Miho flipped her hair back again over her shoulders. It was a wild untamable mess of curls. Tetsuya claimed her hair weighed ten pounds. Miho scoffed. Her hair was nothing compared to Chōji's. No one had ruffled her hair in years.

Not since Elder Torifu passed away.

"That's the Kazekage and the jōnin supervisors!"

The voice was panicked, belonging to a young man who ran up in a Takigakure headband. Another ran up a moment later, hair darker and expression even more exasperated. Not hard to figure: these were Fū's teammates. Miho felt her mouth fall open as both grabbed one of Fū's arms. She whined, dragging her feet.

"Hey, wait—"

A look from Gai-sensei had her mouth snapping shut. Conflicted at the way a jinchūriki was being manhandled, Miho folded her hands into her pockets.

"It's cool, Miho! Lee! I'm gonna make 98 more friends while I'm here! I will! Then, we'll all have a party, okay?"

Miho let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She needed to message Genma-sensei. She needed to get word to the Hokage as soon as possible. Team Ten needed to know, too. And Gaara needed to know. Looking back to the Gai-sensei, she found herself meeting Gaara's eyes.

A thrill shot through her stomach. Miho consciously tried not to tense.

He didn't feel like a tornado anymore, like chaos. It didn't feel like she was staring down a disaster. She knew he wasn't a disaster. He'd changed. Just like what she'd seen. She could still hear his voice from back then though, threatening to kill her. To kill Ino. To kill her brother. Naruto. Lee. Everyone.

_"Not my brother."_

She remembered his eyes then.

Cold. Chaotic. Unhinged.

Now though…

"You're Akimichi Miho."

"Ah, Lord Kazekage, yes! This is Akimichi Miho. You met during the last chūnin exams!"

Lee smiled. He was so good at easing tensions that it often read as humor or ignorance to someone who didn't know him. His hand came to rest on her shoulder, a casual reminder that he was there for her. To support her. She distinctly remembered him standing in front of her after Gaara's sand had cut her skin.

She spent weeks by Lee's side.

After his bones were shattered.

She'd worried that Gaara would come to destroy him, to finish the job he'd started.

Then, he went after her brother again.

"It is good that you remember her. She is a good friend of mine!"

"Yes…I remember her." Gaara trailed off. Miho wondered which interaction he recalled. When he attacked her brother? When she'd stared him down? When he tried to kill her brother? When he tried to kill Lee? When he watched her with Naruto? Miho held his eyes. Once again, like before, she was unable to look away. "It is nice to meet you again, Lady Akimichi."

How often did he say that, hoping for someone to take the re-meeting to heart?

Miho bowed. When she rose up again, she smiled. If that surprised him, he certainly didn't show it. "It is nice to meet you again as well, Lord Kazekage. I've heard nothing but good things from Lee and Naruto. And Kankurō."

"That's right. You're friends with Uzumaki Naruto."

Nodding, Miho tried to find another thing to say. "Yes, I am."

"Miho! Tell me you didn't go out at night here. Geez, I told you about these things. Ah, hey, Gaara!" Kankurō grinned as he approached, folding his hands into his pockets. Temari looked about half-a-second from scolding him, so he diverted. Miho tried hard not to laugh. "Looks like you've already re-met Gaara when he's not trying to kill you. Congrats."

"Not trying to—" Lee looked dumbfounded, looking around to Miho for some kind of explanation.

The war paint on Kankurō's face made his grin more pronounced. And he was enjoying the hell out of the awkward atmosphere. The joke was on him, Miho had Tetsuya and Shin as teammates. And Genma-sensei as a teacher.

Two teen boys and an absolute mess of a teacher. She dealt in awkward.

"The pleasure was all mine."

Miho heard Tetsuya choke on nothing a few feet behind her. She did notice that the Kazkage's eyes widened a bit. There was little other reaction.

The Akimichi were a noble clan. She was trained in all the graces.

"All y—" Temari started, but she was cut off by her taller brother.

"I see you didn't bring him cookies though."

"Who says I didn't?" Miho reached in her vest pocket and withdrew another bag of cookies, sealed in a beeswax bag. "I'm a polite guest and a guest always brings something to offer." These cookies weren't meant for the Kazekage, but…Well, she never had a shortage of sweets on her person at any given time. Vaguely, she noticed that Gai-sensei's eyes were shining. "Besides, I'm an Akimichi. If we go anywhere even remotely diplomatic, we bring food."

"That's not why you brought cookies." Kankurō challenged. "Is it?"

She'd forgotten his tone. Tone never did translate well to writing.

"No, that's not why I brought cookies, but it's a damn good cover." Smiling, Miho held the bag out to Kankurō. "It's for all of you, so…"

"Yeah, yeah. Konoha mantras—sharing is caring. Sure, whatever."

Temari cleared her throat. "Not to break up this clearly touching reunion, but…" Miho could see her eyes flash toward her Kankurō with barely hidden curiosity. So he kept the letters secret, huh? Miho raised her brows at him, earning a grimacing smile in return. "Get back to your dorms."

Lee squawked, throwing an arm over Miho's shoulders. "She is right, my bosom friend! Our teams will be so worried! Oh, you're here!" Tetsuya scoffed at Lee's mock surprise at his presence. Over her shoulder, she could see Kankurō holding up both hands in placation as Temari snatched the bag of cookies from him in a swift swipe. Miho could've sworn she met Gaara's eyes across the courtyard.

Not a tornado or a natural disaster. At the moment.

He felt like something else entirely, but Miho couldn't quite put her finger on it.

* * *

"Are you_ serious_?"

Genma sat back, staring at the decoded message from his student. Miho always seemed to find the drama. Or the drama always seemed to find her. At a certain point a few years ago, he'd resigned himself to it. Resigned himself to early gray hairs and the occasional weekend bender. Honestly, Genma was getting too old for the latter.

He didn't have any gray hairs before he started teaching.

Literal _years_ in ANBU, never one gray hair.

He pulled three out just last week.

_Teenagers._

Another jinchūriki.

Not that the Hokage would be opposed to sweetening the pot, but this didn't bode well. Takigakure had been largely negligent, or rather, ambivalent, in their responses to the Hokage's calls for organization. Whereas Iwagakure and Kumogakure said outright, "No." Takigakure was hem-hawing about oversight from larger villages.

Now, the idiots had sent their jinchūriki— Fū, apparently— into the lion's den.

And Genma was no fool.

There was no way in hell that girl was going to make it back home alive. Not with the current timeline. Hell, they knew for sure she died at some point before. Miho seemed to know that as well, despite this blank part of her Mental Comic Book.

"You look a little freaked out."

Genma deflated in his chair, letting his back slide down until his body was at an uncomfortable angle. "Why did I take on a team again?"

"Dad forced you?" Asuma let out a puff of smoke that seemed to linger longer than normal in the room. Whatever new cigarettes he'd started, Genma liked the tobacco smell. "What happened? One of the boys get caught sneaking out or something?"

Genma really didn't have the emotional capacity to think on that one. He also didn't get paid enough. "Nah, I'm pretty sure that's not gonna happen for another couple years. Or it won't be the boys at all. They might not need to sneak out." Asuma snorted. "There's another jinchūriki here." Well, that certainly knocked the smirk right off Asuma's mug. "Yeah, fun times."

"How— Shikamaru didn't report it. Hell, Ino didn't report it. We didn't see another jinchūriki."

"In the Mind Walks? Yeah. Seems she didn't remember this part."

Despite what most seemed to think, Miho's memory wasn't infallible. It took damn near a year for her to sort it all out. Even then, there were some parts of her memory that…Genma often wondered how she viewed the world. Or worlds. Once, about three sheets to the wind and too much sake down the hatch, Genma thought he understood.

A year of training to sort out her memories. It took near the same for Shikaku and Inoichi and everyone else 'in the know' to sort it out as well.

What remained was a series of 'blanks pages.'

Blank sections where there was little-to-no information.

Who were the other jinchūriki? How did they die? What illness did Itachi have?

And Genma didn't even want to start grappling with the Uchiha Obito mess. That was for others to deal with. Genma didn't really care for the guy when they were kids. Nevermind now. No, he was on the Jinchūriki Task Force.

Somehow, all but two of the jinchūriki were captured and killed by the Fourth Shinobi War. Gaara, notwithstanding. Miho remembered _everything_ about the kid's death and resurrection. Genma didn't want to interrogate that any more than he had to. Ino teased Miho enough about it anyway.

Despite attempts to locate and secure the other jinchūriki, the year-long diplomatic approach was coming up short and time was running out.

Thus…this foolhardy plan.

The One Tail Jinchūriki so vulnerable? Who could resist?

Genma slid the senbon between his teeth. "Miho didn't know. They didn't know. We need to tell your kids and we need to get word to the Hokage."

"I'll send a courier. Better this stays off a hawk." Asuma heaved a breath. "Is this jinchūriki…stable?"

"Seems to be."

Genma huffed as Asuma left. Really, he should've anticipated that Sarutobi would default for the message-sending rather than talking to Team Ten. They were an intense bunch, after all. Genma had never asked Asuma if he'd spoken to them about his apparent impending demise. Figured that was a topic best left alone. Still, those brats had trained themselves to the point that Genma frankly wondered just how long it would be before the surpassed their predecessors.

Not long, if they hadn't already.

Their room was down the hall and to the left. Genma hadn't even knocked when the door swung open, revealing the hulking form of Akimichi Chōji.

"Yo, Genma-sensei." Stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth, Chōji stepped back and allowed him entrance. Genma quickly took stock, looking from Nara Shikamaru lounging on the bed to Yamanaka Ino 'meditating' by the window. "Ino said you were coming."

Raising a brow, Genma, sat on the edge of the empty bed. "It's not good form to establish barriers in other villages, kid." Ino opened her eyes and stared at him. That stare, whether from her father or Ino herself, was always chilling. "Particularly _ally_ villages."

Primly, she lowered her hands from their meditative position. "I was testing a new technique."

Bullshit.

"Bullshit." Shikamaru didn't move on the bed except the slightest tick of his lips toward a smile. "Genma-sensei is former ANBU. He knows a sensory barrier when he sees one." Yeah, the kid would know that, given his recent offer to join Black Ops. Blinking slowly, the kid angled his head a bit and gave Genma a once over. "Something's gone wrong. Did someone start something? Kiba?"

Genma snorted. "I appreciate that you assume that loudmouth did something. And, yeah, he did." The other two sat a bit straighter while the Nara moved upright. "It's handled. Not the point of this visit. I got a message from Miho. There's another jinchūriki here."

Shikamaru's eyes went wide. At Genma's side, Chōji lowered himself onto the bedside.

The whole bed slanted downward at such an angle that Genma channeled chakra to his thighs to remain in place.

"In addition to Gaara?"

"Which one? Who?"

"Fū?" Genma asked, as if it would spark one of their memories. It didn't by the expressions on their faces. Double-confirmed then. The girl simply wasn't part of Miho's memories. "Miho remembered her this evening after meeting her apparently. She's the moth one?"

"Seven." Ino supplied, arched brows drawn sharply together.

Despite being one of the best kunoichi in the village, and Genma didn't throw around that praise lightly, she also was one of the easiest to read. She looked unsettled.

"I don't remember her."

"None of us do. It's a blank spot." Shikamaru returned. His tone was matter-of-face as he pressed a hand over his forehead. "What a drag."

"Is she…"

"She's in danger not dangerous, Chōji." Ino cut her teammate off. By the dark look Chōji shot her, Genma realized that their relationship was a bit more tenuous than Miho and Asuma had let on. Genma kept his eyes on Shikamaru, who met his stare. Already thinking of plans, that one. Ino continued, "Two jinchūriki in one place? They won't be able to resist."

"They're still maintaining a low profile. They're not going to attack such a large event." Shikamaru tried to give the observation as much emphasis as he could muster. Genma nodded, agreeing. "They want to keep out of the limelight until they have…" His eyes flashed before they closed, mouth setting into a firm line.

"This was a risk anyway, right? Does it really matter?" Chōji stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth with a thoughtful hum.

The Hokage was a gambler. This was a gamble.

The Hokage was a shit gambler. And therein lied the problem.

* * *

Miho swallowed the last of her twelve scrambled eggs and watched as Shin finished packing. He was equal parts meticulous and chaotic. Neatly folded materials were swiftly followed by a hastily shoved-in pants. The method fit him somehow. At the corner of the room, Tetsuya was pulling off his shirt, muttering under his breath. He turned, crossing his arms. "Run it by me one more time."

"I already explained enough, Stringbean." Miho rolled her eyes, pulling out a protein ball as she stood. "We're up against a jinchūriki. We need to avoid her and monitor her at the same time." Tetsuya sighed. "I know it's not what we planned, but it's in our orders."

"I wanted to hunt down Lee."

Snorting, Shin melted into laughter. "C'mon, sweetheart, you really think you can take on Rock Lee and not get your ass beat?"

"Shut up! I can take him."

"This was never about the exam in the first place. You know that." Miho sighed, drawing her backpack up onto her shoulder. Tetsuya grumbled, securing his sword across his back. When he straightened, Miho sighed, feeling like a weight was pressing down on her shoulders. "It's the first step in stopping the almost literal end of the world."

The room was quiet for a few moments as her words lingered in the air. It was Shin who broke silence... because of course he did.

"No pressure."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We're starting a bit in medias res, but we will get some flashbacks that help to establish some development for how we got here during the chunin exams. Also, the pairing is decided, but won't be announced for another couple chapters. You'll probably see it before it's announced.

SO, Shin (yep, Sai's Shin) is now on Team Book Club. He's a trip to write. I'm excited about him joining the team. We'll see a lot more of their dynamic in future chapters.

We're going to see just how much of a ripple effect we have in the next couple chapters. We'll see how Team Book Club got to where they are now. We'll see training at Center Mountain. We'll see where this takes us!

Currently, things are very overwhelming in real life. I'm sure everyone knows. I cannot guarantee when I will be able to post new chapters. That being said, I hope that you all are staying safe. If this story can provide even just a moment if distraction, then I am happy I was able to write it. I write this for fun, so I hope you had fun reading so far!

Thank you, everyone, for your comments and your kudos and your bookmarks!


	29. Part II: Foreshadowing

Her hand tapped the rhythm as a guitar lilted. Her voice was loud, over roll of thunder and the roar of her tires on the concrete and the beat of the rain. She sang with abandon and 70 miles per hour euphoria. "Listen to the winds blow, watch the sun rise! Run in the shadows, damn the dark! Damn the light!" She vaguely wondered if she'd even be able to catch a glimpse this time around. It was a bit late in the evening and, with the sun setting behind the clouds now. There was no back-light, no contrast. Storm chasing, idle as it was on her way home, was something she never chanced to do at night. She'd heard too many nightmare stories. Probably better to just go on home. She really needed to grade anyway.

"I can still hear you sayin' you would—"

A white-out.

The rain was so heavy and so sudden that she slowed a bit, fingers still tapping on the steering wheel in time with the drums. She'd have to microwave dinner as soon as she got home. Leftovers again. She'd meal prep over the weekend. Wait, no. She'd need to drive to—

A gust of wind hit the Jeep and she swerved to combat it, turning into the gale just enough to stay in the correct lane. The car just ahead of her swerved as well, slowing a bit more as the wind became more powerful. The wind was buffeting that car with so much force that it slowed to a stop in the emergency lane. She slowed to a stop as well just behind the Mazda, anxiety gnawing at her stomach.

Rain-wrapped. The whole thing could be rain-wrapped, hidden behind a downpour shroud.

"—you don't love me now…" Her voice trailed off.

The rain stopped.

_Stopped._

A thrill of fear curdled in her gut.

That wasn't normal. That wasn't good. Rain just _stopping _like that never meant _anything_ good.

She'd heard the stories from El Reno. She'd heard about how the rain had stopped just before— A strong gust pushed her car to the edge of the road and then it was there. It was on top of her. It was there. She braced, screaming. Something large struck the driver's side door. The car in front of her was gone. She couldn't see it. Were they alright?

_Chain, keep us together…_

_Chain, keep us together…_

The windows busted inward, sending a wash of glass into her face as wind funneled into the car. Then, she was tumbling. Tumbling. Over and over and over and over. Rolling. The metal was twisting, yanking this way and that. She could remember screaming, too. It crushed the car too fast to suck her out, but it was trying. It wanted her. It was trying to claw at her. She could feel the wind pulling at her arms, at her clothes, at her legs. It wanted her.

It had to be twenty or thirty seconds. Sixty seconds?

Too long.

Pain pierced her chest. It pulled there as the car spun and tilted and rolled.

She was going to die.

"Lady Miho."

She was going to die.

"Miho!"

She was going to—

"MIHO!"

Thunder crashed and Miho opened her eyes. The swirling wind disappeared, and the crunching metal was silenced. She wasn't in that car. She was on Center Mountain, at the Overlook. Master Torifu stood nearby, his great chest heaving. He had his bō at the ready, feet shoulder-width apart. Defense-ready. She remembered him standing closer to the cliff's edge, near… The boulder that had been balanced on the Overlook, which likely weighed several tons, was gone. Long, deep scars carved into the granite near where it once balanced. As if some monster had clawed into the abyss below.

"What h-happened, Master?"

"You destroyed it, cub."

Miho tried to control the nervous energy that ebbed up into her throat. She turned to see Grandfather Ha ambling down from the observation deck. His grayed eyes were as sharp as his tone. The beads that were weaved into his fur tip-tapped as he moved down the stone staircase.

"That rock has stood for millennia. A ceremonial site for all who train here."

"Grandfa—"

"Don't apologize, cub. You were not in control. Luckily, that youngin' is spry on his feet. Got out of the way in time. His own fault for playing with something that he does not understand." Grandfather Ha jerked his head toward her teacher. Master Torifu shrugged his shoulders, releasing the tension she knew rested there. As the old bear approached, Miho pushed herself up to stand, rubbing her hands over her stomach as she moved. The chaotic chakra was painful. It burned and seared under her skin. "A snack while I talk, cub. Eat." His great head jerked around and he glared in Master Torifu's direction. "You, too, child."

Her teacher didn't argue, settling himself on a nearby boulder. He withdrew a fruit chew snack, obviously keen on watching the exchange. Grandfather Ha approached on all fours, pushing his snout into Miho's chest. She moved backward until the back of her legs struck a rock ledge at the back of the training circle. She withdrew some jerky from her vest pocket.

"You are unstable. Unsteady. Un-centered." Master Torifu snorted. Her balance had always been an issue, ever since she was little. Now, with this new chakra, she was completely out of balance. It seemed obvious. "As you remain unsteady, so, too, will the energy within you. _Focus_." Miho fell back onto her rear at the growl. The mighty old bear snorted, planting himself down before her. He still towered. "The Okuda were never an unsteady bunch. They were solid. Are you solid?"

"Akimichi's are always sol—" Miho's response felt instinctual. Grandfather Ha's teeth bared and Miho snapped her mouth shut. One of his claws came out to prod at her bad knee, which twinged under the pressure. Maybe she was unsteady. Maybe she wasn't solid. Not anymore. "I—"

"Akimichi are solid. Yes. Okuda are solid. Are _you _solid?"

When Miho didn't answer, the old bear huffed. She'd always been unsteady as long as she'd known herself. Miho wrung her hands. _Hold on. Hold onto me. _Her eyes moved to Master Torifu. Again, after so many tries, she'd been back in that car. When she wasn't in the car, she was in that cell. Miho gritted her teeth, frustration mounting.

"Then we will make you solid, cub. We will steady you."

"Meditation." Master Torifu's voice called out. She'd been meditating for years. Perhaps a different level or type of meditation? Miho shifted, feeling a swell of chakra rise and fall like a gust of wind. How long would be before the chakra was out-of-control? It'd been a month already. It kept getting worse each day, more chaotic.

Grandfather Ha snorted. "A human notion. Meditation? No. She is a Bear. She will learn the Bear Way." He reached his paw into the pocket of his large cloud weave vest. Then, he held his paw open before her. Miho looked between his narrowed, white eyes and the collection of needles, thread, silk, and a small bag. "This is the Bear Way, little cub."

"Shinrin had me doing needlework. Before." Miho took the tools, fiddling with a finger at the little sachet of beads. She poured some out into her still shaking palm. The glass beads were small, tiny. It seemed impossible that a needle could even fit through the holes or that her fingers could handle them. They were too small, too delicate. "She…She never mentioned beads."

He ignored her trepidation, snorting. "Then you know why you must practice this? Follow the patterns. Create the pieces?"

Remembering what Shinrin said before, Miho nodded. "Patience and delicacy."

"Think of the beads as _focus_."

* * *

Her fingers trailed along the beads of her yukata sleeve. Intricate patterns painted the fabric, delicate beadwork that was paired with complicated stitches. The beads were glass and bone and quills. Rolling the beads between the pads of her fingers had become a habit. Her eyes stared out into the night, seeing nothing but inky blackness and the silhouette of rolling dunes against a starlit sky. She could see the Mother's Trail. It painted across the night, stars twinkling between the distant clouds of the galaxy.

"You should be sleeping, Chubs." She curled a bit toward his warmth to her right. "It's pretty out here."

"It is." Miho nodded, still rolling the beads between her fingers. "It's called the Milky Way _there. _They called it _The Path to Elsewhere_ in another place. The Bears call it 'the Mother's Trail.'"

Tetsuya's huff sounded thoughtful. "Master says that it is the Swordsman's Walk. Its story is kept only for those who have mastered all seven levels of the Crescent Style. Why 'Mother's Trail'?" Idly, Miho wondered what the people of Suna called the path in the stars. She'd never thought to ask Kankurō.

"When the Bears first arrived from the stars, the First Mother Bear knew that one day she would need to return to the stars as all bears do. She couldn't think of leaving her cubs behind, however many generations of them passed, so she carved out the trail with her paws in the night sky so that her cubs could find her in the stars."

Miho felt Tetsuya nod. He was quiet for a moment.

"Think they're gonna make a go for 'em?"

Shaking her head, Miho leaned back against the rock. "As the Hokage would say, 'The pot's not sweet enough.' Attacking one _special person _is so much easier than _two special people. _I don't think they'll go for it unless they have assurances."

"I don't think you're wrong." Miho knew Shin had been awake for hours, but it was the first he'd spoken up. His silence had seemed introspective, so Miho'd let him be while she kept watch. "Still, there's danger. What was that metaphor you used before? A kunai cannot lie?"

"You can't put a kunai on screen without it being used. You can't write about a kunai without it being used. Otherwise, why mention it? Why bother? It's not a metaphor." Miho knew that the concept was used in literature in both worlds. She remembered teaching her students about the idea in storytelling. Each mentioned or shown detail can reappear to play a larger part later. "Why would this exam happen if not to serve a purpose?"

"Aside from our promotions?" Tetsuya chuckled at her scowl, even if he couldn't see it. "Yeah, nothing is ever that easy. You didn't remember anything about this except now this chick—"

"Let's call her…Ice Cream."

"Mint chocolate chip?" Shin questioned with a serious tone.

Tetsuya actually sagged next to her, all of the fight draining out of his muscles. "Fine. Ice Cream Chick…She's gonna play a role. We can't hear anything about what Genma-sensei and the others are doing because of the exam. So now what?"

"We stick close without raising questions. We've already got one scroll. Now, we just need to get another and stick close to Ice Cream without her noticing." Shin turned to Miho and smiled. "Miho has already strategically made friends."

Strategically make friends?

Miho continued to roll the beads between her fingers until dawn melted the stars from the sky and sunlight rolled over the eastern dunes. That wasn't why Miho tried to make friends with the young woman from Taki. In the early morning light, she glanced over to Shin. Tetsuya had fallen back asleep. Shin rarely slept. She knew her teammate suffered from nightmares. She knew that all too well. Carefully, she reached out a hand to rest on his forearm. He didn't flinch.

Not like he did the first time she'd laid a hand on him.

His skin was clammy beneath her fingers.

"You're going to crash if you keep this up."

He pulled in a breath and nodded. She watched as something seemed to flicker over his black eyes before he turned to face her. "My body is conditioned for longer stints awake than this, Miho."

"I know that. Just because you're conditioned for it doesn't mean that you need to use the ability when surrounded by allies."

Shin's lips quirked up a bit. "My team is not surrounded by allies."

Before Miho could comment on that, Tetsuya yawned and stretched. Shin took the distraction as his cue to stand, pulling both arms over his head. Irritated at the sidestep, Miho glowered up at him, resisting the urge to pinch his bare stomach now that his arms were stretched upward.

At some point, Shin would trust her and Tetsuya. To watch his back. To protect him. She'd make sure of it. He'd trust them to protect him whenever his guard was down.

"Whaddya think? Should we head east or west?"

Miho shifted to her knees, downing three protein balls in one mouthful. She'd carefully cleaned her hands of sand having gotten a mouthful of grit the previous night that ruined her appetite. Apparently, sand was not digestible and her stomach had rioted for several hours after she'd tried to just power through the mouthful.

"I would bet there are more teams to the west than the east. See those cliffs? Teams will likely seek shelter there." Shin turned, eyes narrowing toward the west. "If we move west of here, we'll encounter more foolish teams."

Miho snorted.

"So, we go east toward the mesa?" Tetsuya adjusted his sword, making sure that the strap laid flat and the moon phase pattern was clear. "Wasting time isn't something I really wanna do."

"To the east it is then. Now, we just need to find some ice cream in this desert." Miho rubbed her stomach, glancing out toward the eastern horizon, where the sun was rising in the pale morning haze. If she were honest, ice cream really sounded good. Perhaps when she got back to Suna, she could find some local stuff. They had to have ice cream parlors, right? "Any bright ideas?"

The Book Club stood in silence.

Tetsuya scoffed after a long moment, looking to Shin. "We're shit trackers, remember?" Miho nodded, looking at the newest member as well. He stared back at them. Miho could've sworn she saw a smile start to pull at his lips, but he kept it at bay.

Shin sighed. "This is what Genma-sensei meant."

Before either could question him, he turned and started walking toward the east. Miho met Tetsuya's eyes and grinned. Tetsuya, in turn, clicked his tongue and winked. They both followed after their teammate.

* * *

"You know, these hooligans are gonna make me go gray prematurely? How am I supposed to keep up my _game _if I have gray hair?" Genma covered his face with his hands, mourning the three gray hairs he'd yanked from his scalp that morning. It was the second day of the Second Exam and his team was still to-the-wind in the accursed Demon Desert. "My hair is part of my appeal."

Kurenai scoffed. He could imagine her red eyes rolling. "You sound like an _old man_." She would never care about his mourning, Genma knew. In fact, if he pissed her off enough, she might just _enjoy _his suffering. Or aid and abet his silly teenagers in making him age _quicker._ "Get it together, Shiranui, or I swear—"

"Konoha's Team Five has engaged one of the Kusa teams near the mesa to the southeast."

Genma was on his feet in an instant, rushing over to the eastern observation deck. That mesa was close enough for a battle to be observed. A grin pulled at his mouth despite the absolutely ridiculous circumstances. His team was meant to stay in the arena as long as possible to tail the jinchūriki. Tangling with one of the Kusa teams wasn't part of the plan.

That didn't mean that his kids couldn't use the Kusa team to show off a bit. They wouldn't risk an all-out battle. Not with enemy ninja so near. They would never show all their cards, not unless they had to.

Oh, they'd fight. They just wouldn't fight to their full potential. Just like all of the Konoha teams.

From where he stood, he could see Miho's enlarged arms grappling with a man far larger than herself. Her arms then disappeared. He couldn't make out any of their shouts to each other, but he could see the plume of sand and dust that rose up from the mesa and the big, booming crack of a large body slamming into the cliffside. Miho stood several yards from the cliffside. If Genma guessed right, Miho had bodyslammed the big guy about twenty feet into sandstone.

"She's gotten stronger."

Genma raised his brows, glancing over to the Kazekage's brother. Pulling in a calming breath, Genma tried not to cause an international incident. Miho and the Painted Kid had kept up with each other since she'd left for Central Mountain two years ago. Genma knew that. And he'd known since that day the kid visited her in the hospital that the Suna Interloper likely wasn't going to go away any time soon.

Since then Genma realized what _never in a million years _actually _felt _like.

"The new kid…Where'd he come from?"

When Genma didn't respond, Kankurō leaned forward and rested his forearms on the rampart. The kid was taller and broader and nearly Genma's height. Nearly. And that fact made Genma shift the senbon between his teeth. Getting closer to the war, when this brat would be a leader. In the distance, Miho took a hit for Shin, throwing herself in the way of a strong punch from the largest member of the Kusa team. That's what she was built for. Taking hits. What looked to be purple bubbles seemed to be forming around the battleground.

He could imagine Shin's reaction to the defense.

The Newbie was still getting used to team dynamics.

Miho taking the hit would make Shin get mean. Real quick. And Mean Shin was a petty hellion.

"What the-?"

Genma wasn't quite sure what was happening until he saw something huge figure appear on the battlefield. It looked to be a mole of some kind, standing as tall as the cliff. A summon. A boss summon at that. A small figure stood on its head, gesturing toward the shinobi on the ground. Crossing his arms, Genma watched as his kids fell into formation.

Chapter 3 Formation. (The ridicule he faced with the others of his rank because of the Team Five formation titles was an ongoing source of amusement. Genma enjoyed nothing more than irritating the hell out of his peers.) Chapter 3 was a good choice. Showed off individual skills and teamwork. Genma might've clapped if it were not for present company. Instead, he settled his senbon into the right corner of his lips.

Tetsuya and Shin took on the other two teammates, leaving Miho to stand in front of the gigantic summon. Twice now, she'd been dwarfed. That may have scared other opponents this team faced. Not Miho. Her family dealt in size. Large as she was, she was still nowhere near the size of her father. The gigantic summon began to charge. Genma leaned forward, resting an arm on the rampart. Miho didn't budge. From the set of her body, even at this distance, she didn't even seem bothered.

"Move."

He may have smiled a bit— _a bit_— at the obvious concern in the Painted Kid's voice as Miho stood firm against the approaching summon. It was never in his student to retreat when facing down an opponent larger than her.

She wasn't going to move.

"She can sum—"

The mole and its summoner slammed back into the cliffside, collapsing with the force of their momentum against the unforgiving slab of rock. For a moment, both the summon and summoner seemed stunned. Miho, however, wasted no time. She was upon the largest opponent like a maelstrom as Tetsuya transitioned to taking on the smallest opponent as the summon disappeared into a poof of smoke. A cowardly summon, then? Odd.

"Damn. She didn't mention that."

Despite his worry, Genma smiled. Miho wasn't the only one to watch on his team. His eyes tracked over to where Tetsuya was spinning, the glint of his sword flickering in the sunlight. The way the sword swung about, circular cuts agile and smooth, spoke to his student's devotion to his craft. Hayate was doting. So much so that it got annoying. Still, Tetsuya was something else with a sword.

The true heir of the Crescent Moon style.

"A swordsman."

Surprised at the new voice, Genma turned to see Baki standing on the other side of the Painted Kid. He'd been too complacent, Genma realized. The jōnin's arms were crossed of his chest as he observed the battle— one of the few battles that had happened close enough for observation. It was certainly drawing a crowd.

The kid Tetsuya was battling seemed weaker in taijutsu using what looked to be extremely close-range weapons to hold Tetsuya off. Then, the kid sunk into the earth. Apparently, he appeared just below Tetsuya, who leaped from the ground and fended off an assault with…Were those tekkō kagi?

"He is skilled."

The Suna jōnin commenting on Tetsuya's swordplay was particularly ironic, Genma thought. Especially considering it was Baki that once killed Hayate. Tetsuya cut into the cliffside, sending a cascade of rocks onto the small figure.

Shin was nearly blown away by the final member of the Kusa team, using his sai to anchor himself. When the wind finally abated again, he launched himself at the opponent so fast that the wind-wielder had no time to defend. Shin's anger was a double-edged sword. And he was clearly angry. His strikes were less precise than usual. Still, he managed to completely mangle the opponent's weapon, a flag on a pole.

The flag was now nothing but tattered ribbons.

His emotions were Shin's strength and his weakness. Genma added it to the list of things to continue developing. Particularly since Shin was aiming for a teaching position as a jōnin instructor in the future. Being _too _petty didn't make you a good teacher. It made you Hatake Kakashi. And like hell a Hatake Kakashi would be in Shiraui Genma's lineage.

The flag pole- ribbons floating on the breeze-whipped around at the last second to deflect a particularly brutal blow to the man's abdomen. A potentially lethal blow. Old habits died hard. Shin jumped back to join his team.

_Chuckles. _The nickname only fit in certain circumstances, but damn if it wasn't amusing.

The Kusa team gathered themselves together as the mole was re-summoned. His team was left staring at a hole in the mesa that cut down into the earth. He thought he heard Tetsuya's laughter reverberate across the empty space, off the cliff's wall. The team turned, waving enthusiastically from where they stood. He could see a scroll held in Shin's hand.

Genma smiled, lifting a hand to wave back.

He could see Miho eating something even from his distance. She waved with a cookie in her hand, patting Shin on the back.

The other shinobi standing on the wall went back to their duties. The Painted Kid muttered something under his breath, laughing with a shake of his head as he moved away. Genma didn't miss the way the kid looked back over his shoulder as he went.

Genma stuffed his hands in his pockets and left the observation deck entirely, seeking out another obnoxious teenage team. He was sure they'd want the rundown on the way the Book Club kicked some ass. And, hell, he felt like bragging for a bit.

Maybe that'd make him feel better—about his hair and the fate of the world.

* * *

Ino was getting kinda sick of being left out of the loop. A brutal sandstorm pops up out of _nowhere _and Sungakure's shinobi were trying and failing to act as if it were normal. She knew better. Mostly because she had common sense. A storm like this with chakra layered into the waves of sand was meant to affect sensors. Stepping through the double doors, Ino zeroed-in on her target.

Behind her, she could hear Shikamaru muttering under his breath. Chōji was eating, which may not have been a tell to most anyone. To her, she could read his concern and fear. After all, Miho was out there in the middle of all this.

"You wanna give us an explanation?"

"Easy. The exam's postponed." Kankurō fired back, walking right past her. Ino scoffed, following behind. "This sandstorm's a bad one. Fact of life when you live in a desert."

"Yeah? The teams preparing for deployment was a dead giveaway. What's the threat to our teams?" Ino kept pace with him, knowing that Shikamaru would be trailing Temari behind her. Ino knew to keep with Kankurō. He'd tell her what she needed to know. For a lot of reasons. "You know this could be—"

"We very well know what it _could be._" Kankurō stopped, turning on his heel. Ino had never been particularly impressed by the puppet master, but— at that moment— he looked more like a soldier than he ever had. Regardless of his ridiculous get-up, he finally looked a bit like the man she'd been anticipating for all these years. "Look, I don't have time to waste. You— _none _of you— are cut out for weathering a sandstorm. We're trained for this."

"It's an attack on your long-range sensors. You know that. I know that. I'm one of the best sensors in Konoha. Let me go down to the sensor sphere to help."

Kankurō scoffed, turning on his heel again. "You think we don't got the best the best of the best already on it?"

"If it protects the Kazekage, do you have anything to lose? You really think your brother's going to just _let _a sandstorm hurt the exam participants? Much less, do you think the Kazekage is going to let a sandstorm- an unnatural sandstorm- hurt his genin?" Ino might've smiled at the way the guy's shoulders tensed. She knew exactly how to get him. She'd examined _everyone _in the Images for years. She knew what made them tick, how their behaviors predicted their reactions. Ino wasn't above using that knowledge to her advantage. "And you what? Put guards on him? You seriously think he'll stay put?"

"You don't know what you're talking about, okay?"

Kankurō was a man driven by the need to make up for lost time, determined to do for his brother now what he couldn't before. And Kankurō was prideful as all hell. Which made him putty in her hands. So easy to predict. That's what got him in trouble with Sasori.

Who was the real puppeteer? Ino raised her brows.

"Damn it. Fine. This way." Kankurō pushed past her, gruffly growling out as he moved down the hallway. "You, too, Big Guy. Let's go. Miho hypes you up, but you're a real pain in the ass."

Ino shot Chōji a smirk, enjoying the small flicker of amusement in his eyes. He popped another chip into his mouth.

"I don't have time to play games." Kankurō muttered. Vaguely, Ino wondered if his letters to Miho were so terse. They probably were. "You there!" A chūnin down the hall stood to attention. "Send another set of guards up to the Kazekage's tower. Now."

"Yes, sir, Lord Kankurō."

Ino could tell that the Suna shinobi was nervous. It was taking the form of aggression, but he was worried nonetheless. For a moment, Ino thought about calling him on it. A hand fell on her shoulder and Chōji shook his head. He knew her well enough to sense that her hackles were rising. She was itching to bait him without good reason.

"Here. See what you can figure out. I've gotta get out there." He held open the door to the sensor room, turning toward the occupants. "Yamanaka here is going to help with repairing the long-range sensors. Level Two clearance. Lock it down otherwise." Allies or not, there was no way another shinobi village would allow anything above a Level Three clearance in a sensor room. "Stay here."

"Kankurō."

It was Chōji that spoke up. Ino turned to look up at her teammate, who said nothing more. He just held Kankurō's stare for a few seconds. Then, Chōji nodded.

"Yeah, okay."

Kankurō was gone.

Chōji looked down, meeting Ino's questioning expression. Ino crossed her arms. "Wanna share with the class just what that exchange was about?"

Her teammate just smiled. "From one brother to another. That's all. Let's get to work, Ino. We have a Chūnin Exam to save."

* * *

The mid-day sun was sweltering. The sun beat down upon her. Even through the scarf wrapped around her head and neck, her skin was burning. The sunlight seared the fabric to her skin. The leather vest she wore was ill-fit for a desert, even if the Bear design wicked the sweat away. It sat heavy over her shoulders. They'd been moving for hours, Shin tracking Fū away from a couple battle sites. There'd been no more fights since they'd taken to evading whenever a team came near.

"Shit. You guys should see this."

Miho pushed chakra into her legs, leaping up to top the Mesa with Tetsuya at her side. She landed in a crouch, eyes going wide at the darkness on the horizon. "How close is that?"

"We have ten minutes, if that."

The sand was as high as the clouds. Even at this distance, the yellow veil fell over distant mountains. A fast approaching wall. It was engulfing the entire horizon. "It's not…an attack, is it?"

Shin shook his head. "I can't tell. It seems...It's dangerous. We need to find shelter."

Turning to look away from the eastern horizon, Miho swallowed down her immediate response. Anxiety pooled in her gut. Fū was in danger. Gaara was as well, even if he was guarded in Suna. Finding Fū was top priority and Miho knew they would've found her by now if it were not for the team from Kusa. Huffing, she reached into a pocket and withdrew a handful of cookies. She stuffed them into her mouth, letting the sugar rest on her tongue for a moment before chewing.

"Call it, Shin."

"Shelter-in-place. Unless you have another idea?" Shin turned to Miho and raised a brow, looking down at her. Miho raised a brow in return, not quite sure what he was getting at. "A sandstorm is very inconvenient right now. Another storm might knock it—"

"She ain't doin' that. It eats up way too much chakra and we don't know what we'll be facin' out here." Tetsuya scoffed. "Seriously, Chuckles, what're you thinking, man?"

Shin sighed.

"We'd be trading one mess for another." Miho commented, ignoring Tetsuya's irritation. Shin was only thinking of logical solutions, just like he was trained to do. "I have a technique that could work, but it might just create more trouble." It'd be a mess and less likely to resolve in the same time a sandstorm might.

"Shelter, then." Shin nodded, glancing back over his shoulder. "A cave or a mine. It's our only choice."

"If it comes to it…" Miho trailed off, eyes narrowing on the far-away dust front. It had to be miles and miles long. It was as high as the top of nearby clouds, which would soon be pushed away by the gust front. "We need to cover our noses, mouths, and eyes. Tetsuya, you get the survival gear out." She leapt down from the mesa, tossing Tetsuya the survival gear scroll. "Shin and I will look for shelters."

The cave was small and tight, just barely able to fit Miho while laying on her back. Only about twenty-three inches or so high. Miho shed her scarf, pinning it over the cave entrance with bent senbon into the rock wall. The scarf wouldn't keep out the finest particles, but it would at least provide some barrier from the onslaught. Shin was propped up nearest the entrance, body turned toward the fading sunlight. He fretted with one of his sai, pressing a point against his fingertip.

"This sucks." Tetsuya summed up, sword cradled against his chest beside her. "Forget chūnin. I'll just stay a genin forever."

"This exam is no longer about promotion, sweetheart." Shin responded evenly though there was the slightest note of amusement. Tetsuya fired a small pebble at Shin's shin, glaring with such ferocity that his eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

"I could have just used a jutsu." Miho commented, eyeing the space. It wasn't her first choice. If anything, this was her nightmares made real. Her anxiety was pealing away at the back of her mind, long buried— Buried. She'd been buried. Too many times. Swallowing, she grimaced at the feel of sand in her gloves, the sweat making it chafe. "Given us more space."

Her voice wasn't shaking.

Even if the feel of the earth was different here, it was still between her nails. And it was still melting onto her skin, a film that was too familiar and too distant. Distant because she didn't dare to focus on it, all too aware of where her mind would go if she thought on it any more than she already was. All too aware of whose voice she would hear if she traveled too far from the present. Her fingers moved to the edge of her yukata sleeve.

"I hope everyone's okay. This is…This is bad."

"You think Neji's gonna get his own team?"

"Non-sequitur, sweetheart."

Miho snorted, turning to face Tetsuya. "Are you kidding?"

"Hey, he's a jōnin and the Hokage has a sick sense of humor. If she's drunk enough, I think she'd do it."

Tetsuya received a pebble right between his eyes. The same pebble he'd thrown at Shin before.

"Gluten-Free with a team of kids…" Miho trailed off, letting the thought focus her mind. Swallowing down the last swell of nervous energy, she laughed and shook her head. "You know, he'd make a good teacher…now. He'd be strong and firm and he'd tell them like it is. He's been teaching Hinata, you know? She said he's a good teacher."

Tetsuya shrugged his shoulders. "Do they even have an age limit? How old do you have to be to be a teacher?"

"Just jōnin rank." Shin answered. "There are no other rules."

The wind outside became more volatile, sand and dust brushing up underneath and through the scarf. Even if the goggles were a precautionary measure she'd never used before, they sure were coming in handy now. The winds were howling. The sand was giving the wind more weight as it pummeled against the mountainside.

Miho almost felt weightless as she stared up at the low ceiling of the cave, listening to the wind. Her breaths were measured, careful. In, out. The coursing energy that seemed to linger in her veins was still there, as ever, chaos trapped inside when all it wanted to do was roil with the winds outside. Her fingers followed the line of beads as they curved and moved.

_Steady._

She let out a breath.

In her mind, she could hear a pattern emerging in the beat of the winds outside. A gust and a pause. A gust, a gale, and a pause. A steady, low whistling. Everything given power and purpose, like the building of instruments upon each other. Flutes, and singing and drums.

Like rain— The sand sounded like rain.

Miho carefully focused, moving to the next pattern on the sleeve. The beads rolled between her forefinger and thumb.

"We need to make a beeline for the tower. This thing may not blow over. If it doesn't then we're buried. Ice Cream will no doubt be headed that direction. We need to catch up with her."

"Please don't mention ice cream in the middle of a sandstorm." Miho grumbled. Tetsuya reached over to pinch her stomach, earning an irritated swat.

"This is going to kill someone." It was mid-afternoon. The sandstorm had yet to lighten. If anything, it grew more intense. Miho wondered if all of the teams were alright. She knew Team Gai and Team Eight would be safe, but the others would surely die if this didn't abate. Would Suna cancel the exams if this continued? Were they already in the desert attempting to rescue teams? If foreign teams died in something like this, the fault would lie with Suna.

"How much chakra?"

Tetsuya eased up on his elbows, glaring across the darkness toward Shin. "Seriously, Chuckles? She's not doing it."

"Let _her_ decide that." Shin turned, meeting Miho's eyes. The goggles looked absolutely ridiculous on him. "I'm the tactician of this team, right? I was assigned because I'm a strategist and a tracker. The things you lacked as a team." Miho felt Tetsuya tense beside her, and she willed him to reign in his anger. "What if this sandstorm isn't natural?"

"What are the chances?"

Miho could see the smile fade in Shin's eyes. "What better way to lure a sand user to a desert?"

Gaara, standing in the middle of a sandstorm. A chain in his gut. A chain.

Gaara, dead on the grass. Naruto, crying over him.

He would survive this…whatever it was.

Fū likely would _not _survive.

Her heart seemed to jump into her throat. Fū, whose smile was just as bright as Naruto's. Who just wanted to make a friend or two. Or a hundred. Like Naruto. Miho swallowed, shifting. The energy that coursed through her seemed to thrash. She needed to _do_ something. She could do something.

Fū was going to die. Like all the other jinchūriki. Like Gaara and Naruto, both for a time.

She couldn't let that happen.

"Chubs—"

"I can do it."

Tetsuya rolled his eyes. "That wasn't in question. We know you _can _do it. If there's a fight after this…"

"Then I've got you two."

The sand was cutting into her exposed skin even as she crawled out through the almost sealed opening of the cave. Her scarf was a lost cause. She didn't bother to try and recover it, leaving it pinned to the opening. She glanced around. She knew she was surrounded by mesas and buttes, but she couldn't see past the length of her arm.

She pulled on the mask and braced herself.

"We need to be on that western mesa. Higher elevation. The one overlooking the plain leading to the tower? Do you know what I'm talking about, Shin?"

"I'll guide you."

Miho knew she'd be the anchor in the winds and lashing sand. She was larger than them both, not so easily swayed by the force of the storm. Behind her, Shin's hands held to her sash, using it to guide her left or right. Behind him, Tetsuya held to Shin's shoulder straps.

"You sure about this, Miho?"

"I'm sure!"

At the top of the mesa, Miho pulled in a breath.

She set her feet shoulder-width apart, centering her gravity in the gale-force winds. She could feel Tetsuya and Shin pressed behind her. They were both sheltering and supporting. Eyes closing, Miho focused on the roiling under her skin, the chaos that pulled with the winds.

_Steady._

Steady.

_Steady, Miho. Center yourself._

A point. A single point of low pressure. A singularity.

Concentrated destruction. She felt it shift, moving. Uncontrollable energy pulled along the currents, circling about as it changed into a pattern.

_Tenpenchii _was the energy of disturbance. There was no taming it. No controlling it. It just needed a center. A point of focus.

She focused the energy into that moving point, sliding her fingers together to guide it. One seal, two, three, four. The Bears taught her the traditions of the ancient Okuda, the skills she should have inherited. Before they were slaughtered. Before all of it. Here she stood, bringing back their techniques.

Miho lowered her hands again and drew all of her chakra into the center of her being. She could feel it coiling around her now, brushing her arms and curdling beneath her skin. In her head, she visualized it. She saw it.

She saw it like she saw waves on a shore, too close for comfort. Wind blowing, unrelentless. Power flickering in hotel rooms as her father in another life looked around with excitement. She saw it like she saw her little hands on wet windows, watching the skies lighten and the wind ease.

"_We're in the eye._" Her father there had stepped outside, looking up at the skies in wonder.

In that life, Miho had stepped outside, too, and looked up at the wall of clouds. Her father stood in awe, turning in a slow circle. A shiver raced down her spine. The air was cold and calm. The world was quiet in that stadium of clouds.

It was Superman, her father there, that drove her to chase storms. To follow them and their power over plains. It was her father in that other life that made her look up at them in awe.

Center Mountain was in the eye of a hurricane.

There was no _stopping_ a hurricane. The center moved with it.

_The center moved with it._

"Storm Release: Hurricane Gale!"

One circle, two, three, four…With each cycle, the chakra moved faster. It pushed harder. It gained momentum. The energy grew stronger. The singularity became more focused, a narrow point of low pressure. Her ears popped and Miho opened her eyes.

A wall of dark clouds surrounded her and her team. The sand was gone, dragged to the ground by the moisture in the clouds. Lightning jumped from one side of the mass to the other. She could see the sunlight through the eye overhead. The clouds continued to circle, pulling and sustaining from the chaotic energy she pushed into the singularity.

Miho reached out a hand to brush at the dark clouds.

Mist-like coolness met her fingers, soothing to the heat of the sand that gouged her skin. Thunder rattled the air, cracking over the dunes.

She could feel the power, the charge of it.

"Holy shit." She heard Tetsuya whisper behind her. "I—Wow, Miho."

Miho turned and grinned, arms still outstretched. Tetsuya had never seen this technique. He only knew of it, from descriptions Genma-sensei provided. It was too expensive to her chakra. The second biggest jutsu she had at the moment. His eyes were wide as he looked around at the storm. Her smile widened. "You look a little thunderstruck, Stringbean."

She could hear guitars from a distant memory— windows rolled down and the radio blasting. Too loud on the stadium speakers as the bass shook her chest.

_The sound of drums_

_Beatin' in my heart_

A sandstorm was just a gust front. She intended to push it away, off to the west. She could never completely cover the desert. She didn't have that kind of power. But she could cover at least a mile.

Miho turned back for face the plain, watching as the chakra clouds rolled outward. Like a small, concentrated hurricane. With each new circle, the hurricane grew. She could feel the tug on her chakra. It didn't quite burn. Instead, it lanced. Like the lightning that cut from one cloud to the next. It was getting more and more difficult to breathe as it coiled around her lungs.

Clenching her teeth, she pushed the clouds against a wall.

She couldn't push them any further.

"It's _not _natural. It's…chakra."

Shin was at her shoulder. "A barrier?"

Miho nodded, wincing. "I n-need to end it. I can't—"

"Do it."

She released the singularity, letting it expand and sway. It spun out into nothingness. The clouds around them slowed and dissipated. The final strands of clouds took to the wind while the last of the water fell and the last of the thunder rolled into a clear sky. Miho leaned forward, settling her hands on her knees. She waved Tetsuya off and instead reached for a snack.

Miho knew she needed to keep working on it. She needed to be able to use even larger techniques for longer periods of time.

It was said her father could use the largest and most powerful Storm Release technique.

"Look. Over there."

Two of Team Matsuri were looking over at the mesa, where Miho and her team stood. The third was looking around as if confused. Perhaps it was the rapidly changing weather? Somewhere in the far distance, Miho could hear a rhythm— a string instrument being plucked. Shin was moving before Miho could think twice, slamming his fingers into the chakra points under Miho and Tetsuya's ears. The pain was instant, but fleeting.

Miho felt bile rise in her throat as her ears rang with the sudden loss of hearing.

Shin finished his own seal, protecting himself from whatever the danger was. He defaulted to standard Konoha hand signals. _Enemy. Three o'clock. Auditory. _

In the distance, the three stopped moving. Black masses seemed to wrap themselves around the team, not unlike Shikamaru's shadows. Miho's eyes tracked to the right. A figure sat on the top of a large bounder outcropping. A large lute settled over his lap. She could see his hands moving as he played. Miho followed Shin down the cliffside, out of sight of the attacker and the team.

It was impossible not to _feel _him approaching.

His Killing Intent was different from how it once had been, but it was no less fierce. No less frightening. Miho hauled in a breath, edging forward to see his approach. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, a chill running down her spine. Her teammates edged forward as well. For some reason, she felt some kind of...exasperation...at the sight of him. Out here. All of the plans had him secured in Suna, at the tower. It was one of the only comforts of using him as bait.

_Hold. _Shin signaled, watching as the Kazekage's clones handled the shadows while he helped his student to stand. His clones were held only for a short time before they melted to dust. _Hold. _Something was coming. It buzzed beneath her skin. Something was coming.

Despite her loss of hearing, Miho could hear the thrumming of a guitar. No. The beat of drums. No. No. The building of the melody that seemed to be haunting her. Constantly haunting her. _Chain...Chain...Chain...Chain..._It wasn't the rolling car, the wind, rain, or screaming that hit her mind like a barrage. It wasn't the pull or the pierce. Or the final rattling breath.

_Chain, keep us together. _

Chain. A chain.

The Images struck her mind in flashes. Blurred, hurried, barely-remembered flashes. A memory only half-formed. Only one Image was clearer than the others- Gaara, his blue eyes wide, gripping his stomach where a red chain had pierced through his skin. Sweat on his skin, teeth gritted in pain as the sand fell away.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to Tetsuya's worried face. Her eyes moved frantically to where the Kazekage stood, still facing his student. Then, she looked over to the musician whose hand was raised to strum his instrument. Her eyes met Tetsuya's for just a moment. It was long enough for him to let go of her shoulders.

Miho released the weights on her legs and _moved._

* * *

**A/N:** First and foremost, TODAY IS CHOJI'S BIRTHDAY! Shoutout to one of the most awesome characters out there! Second, the semester has finally ended. It's been a hard one with the transition online, but I'm grateful that everyone was able to make the switch somewhat painless. Here's to all the seniors who are not able to celebrate as normal this year.

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews- your words of encouragement are so very appreciated! Thank you also for the favorites and follows! I'm glad that people are enjoying the story. I'm really excited about this chapter, so I hope everyone enjoyed!

Please leave me your thoughts! Stay safe and healthy, everyone!


	30. Part II: Composition

Time slowed to a crawl. It inched. It stuttered. It spun in place. Miho couldn't hear, but she could feel. She could feel the wind and heat on her cheeks, the brush of steam and sand on her legs. The rain she'd caused met with the heat of the ground and the steam rose about her ankles. Her heart beat wildly, too fast and too uneven. With her hearing gone, every other sense seemed heightened. The sun was brighter. The red of the Kazekage's hair was deeper. The thrill of chakra in her body was making her hands quiver as she ran.

One chain struck sand.

The second chain struck sand.

The Kazekage's defense was supposed to be infallible. Ultimate.

This time, it wouldn't be.

The third chain would—

She couldn't push chakra into her limbs to grow, not after the hurricane technique before. She needed a few minutes to recuperate, but she didn't have time. She couldn't rely on her family techniques. It would do more harm than good to push too quickly. Miho saw the third chain approaching at five steps away. She glanced toward where Gaara stood with his team. Protecting his team. His people.

That was always his weakness, wasn't it? It's what would harm him here. It's what would harm him in the future, when Akatsuki came for him again. Miho remembered a time when she'd cried for him in her former life, thinking he would not come back.

Another character that she'd loved and lost. It seemed a pattern her former self couldn't escape. Too many good characters gone before their time almost as if to spite her favoritism. She'd met some of them, in other worlds. In other stories.

Miho gritted her teeth and looked back to the enemy. Gaara had no idea.

He didn't know his defense would fail.

Maybe he was too confident?

The chain sped toward the gap in the sand walls. Faster than Sasuke's punch.

It would strike him, try to kill him. To draw the beast from inside him.

Not him.

The chain.

_Keep us together..._

Not him.

Four. Three. Two.

_Not him._

Pushing a fine amount of chakra into her feet, Miho slid to a stop, turned, and braced.

One.

Her arms outstretched in an attempt to make herself even bigger than she already was.

"_I'll be a shield!"_

The chain struck.

She wasn't quite sure what she'd been expecting. Pain, certainly, but nothing quite like this. It was all she could do to keep her mouth shut, forcing the scream down her throat. The air of her scream sat at the base of her neck, burning like indigestion. Her entire body felt as if it were on fire, searing from the inside.

Her knees were weak and they were unable to hold her weight. They shook as she tried to stay upright, stumbling forward by two steps. She fell, barely feeling the strike of her knees on the ground. Her right knee popped as it struck. Miho pulled in a gasp, but she couldn't hear it.

She couldn't hear anything, but her own heartbeat in her ears.

Her eyes lowered down to the chain, piercing through her lower abdomen, just below her navel. Her hands floated above it, not willing to touch it. There was no blood. Below the vest. It struck below her vest. It would have hit Gaara in the seal.

Would that have mattered?

A cold sweat broke over her face and arms and knees.

It probably mattered.

There were hands on her shoulders, gripping tightly. So tight that she wondered if they had any idea how to hold something or someone gently. Miho kept her face forward, tracking the chain from her stomach all the way to the man on the outcropping. Now that she was closer, she could see how young he was- no older than her cousin. Twenty? The chain began to glow, and she felt her body become colder in the hot sun.

The priest's eyes eyes were wide, obviously surprised at her interference.

Did he think no one would care?

She turned her head to the left, watching as Shin and Tetsuya crossed the flat land between the mesas and the outcropping. The scowl on Tetsuya's face promised an earful after she got her hearing back. Miho felt herself gasp as a particularly rough searing tug seemed to pull at every cell in her body. Like every bit of her insides was being drawn out through the chain.

The hands on her shoulders tightened before she sensed something above, something churning in the sky overhead. Miho tilted her head back, watching the blue sky darken.

Whatever this was…It linked to chakra.

Chakra chains could be used to control bijuu. Which meant that she'd been right— This was meant to _kill_ Gaara. To extract Shukaku from him. Even if the man wasn't wearing Aktasuki robes, there was no telling what affiliations he had to them.

Miho's eyes narrowed at the swirling clouds. Another yank on the chain. Her chakra felt like bedlam. She swallowed down another gasp and shivered. _Tenpenchii _couldn't be captured or chained. Not like a bijuu. The chain wouldn't be able to find a bijuu, so then what did it tie itself to? What would it draw out? It was impossible to chain chaos.

A head appeared over her, blocking out the growing clouds.

He was backlit by the sunlight.

Gaara.

He looked so confused. He looked _so confused. _And, though he was the Kakekage, Miho could've sworn he looked _scared._

The thought made her want to cry.

She remembered a similar look on Naruto's face when a kunai was in her shoulder. Like he couldn't believe anyone would go to such lengths. Like anyone would care enough. Naruto would chew her out for this, she thought fondly. He would understand, of course, but he would still _chew her out_. The kind of arms flailing 'what were you thinking?' kind of lecture that he often threw at Sasuke. Because Sasuke was reckless. And, Miho realized, she was reckless too.

Back then, when she'd taken a kunai for Naruto, at least she'd been smart enough to use a weapon to block most of the blows. Her naginata was still sealed away in her arm band.

This was her mistake. She'd been too… Miho refocused again, meeting the Kazekage's eyes once more. His mouth was moving. She'd been too focused on saving him.

She held his stare upside down for only a few seconds before she felt another person approach. It was Tetsuya, sword drawn. Without hesitating, he brought his sword down on the chain. Miho didn't even have time to react. Her mouth had only begun to open— to tell him to stop— when his blade struck the chain.

Tetsuya was knocked off his feet by the purple lightning. Miho felt the hands on her shoulders disappear as her eyes squeezed shut. There was a brush of sand on her legs. That was the only grounding Miho had as she swallowed down another scream and curved around the chain her stomach. She was shaking.

Her hands felt numb.

Her hands felt _numb_…

When her eyes opened again, Gaara had blocked another chain in front and to the right of her. It fell to the ground and disappeared.

"He wants—"

Gaara held out an arm, signaling for her to stop talking. She looked over to where Tetsuya was kneeling, sword at the ready, held behind his back. Shin was behind her; she could feel him there. There was a darkness there that seemed heavier than the pull of the chain on her chakra. Shin was that darkness. Two fingers pressed into the notch beneath each ear. His fingers were cool to the sweat there.

The world came back in a roar of sound.

"—not dependent on hearing." Shin explained, voice seeming very loud. "Stay still." He moved to kneel in front of her, settling on his haunches with his back to Tetsuya, the Kazekage, and the enemy. The amount of trust that showed was staggering. Miho felt herself still as he examined the chain's entry point. "Genma-sensei warned me. Said strategy wasn't your thing."

Through gritted teeth, Miho laughed a bit and winced. "Better than I was."

Shin shot her a disbelieving glare through his lashes, pressing at the skin around the chain. "You don't get to say that right now." His brows drew together. "There's no blood."

"It's a chakra chain."

He drew in a breath. "Shit." Lifting his head over her shoulder, he looked to the team behind her. She could hear them fretting, but it was only white noise. Instead, her mind was focused on the near-continuous strum of the lute and the constant movement of sand around her legs. As soon as the enemy had another way to distract him, Gaara would be hit. Her eyes trailed over to Tetsuya, who fended off a chain of his own. A distraction.

Gaara didn't budge to his defense.

Not a good enough distraction.

Only the Suna team would make him become unfocused.

She turned, meeting the eyes of the Suna team. "You all need to go. Now. Find one of the other Konoha or Suna teams! Go!"

The brunette— Matsuri?— opened her mouth to argue.

"Go." Gaara's voice commanded. "This is beyond your skill. Go."

"Shin, go with them." Tetsuya grunted. Miho turned in time to see him barely block a chain with a swift movement of his sword. The world was blurring a bit and she blinked hard. "I don't think this guy created the barrier, man. That means there's two. Find some backup." She knew Shin would argue that. "Go, hardhead!"

She turned back to Shin, reaching out to grab his arm. He looked down, eyes wild and angry. For so long, Shin had no control. He couldn't protect anyone— not himself, not Sai. Letting go of control… It was so hard for him. "Trust us. Please. Go." Shin opened his mouth to argue before lifting his dark eyes to the team behind her and then he turned, watching a wall of sand rise up to block both Tetsuya and Gaara. His head shook, silver hair shining in the dimming sunlight. "Go, Shin."

Her eyes closed as a particularly strong wave of pain washed from her shoulders to her abdomen, through the chain. Pulled out. Yanked. It left her breathless.

Shin was gone. Miho turned a bit to see that the Suna team was gone as well.

The desert seemed to be growing darker. Like the sunlight was fading and the clouds were building.

"What did this do to her?" Gaara's voice was quiet, but— It had gravity. He blocked another chain. His Ultimate Defense was more focused, consolidated now. He wasn't distracted anymore. The team was gone. He didn't have to protect them as well. Miho's heart stuttered a bit and she realized it was the _tenpenchii _thrashing.

Miho watched as the priest's eyes narrowed and flicker her direction. His hand rose and he brought it down on the string once more. A new rapid rhythm began. Another chain sprouted and another and another. Each of them…aimed at her. She saw the strategy before either of the others.

The chains were moving fast. Too fast. No matter how much she tried to move, her muscles just wouldn't— couldn't respond. No. She watched, frozen. The chain within her pulsed and her arms and legs went numb. No, no. She felt herself slump, even as the chains approached. The clouds were getting darker overhead.

"Miho!"

Tetsuya would never make it in time. He knew that, by the expression his face.

_Koji's eyes were wide and she could see the fear in them. Fear for her. Not fear for himself._

Her eyes turned to Gaara. And she could see from the angle of his body and the tenseness in his shoulders and the thrashing of the sand what he planned to do. Naruto… Naruto would—She wasn't sure why it was Naruto that came to mind. If the Akatsuki got Gaara, then the cascade would begin.

The cascade would begin, and it wouldn't end until he was dead.

Until so, so many people were dead.

Swallowing, Miho looked back to the approaching chains. Fast. Miho knew. They were fast. She knew. She knew she was faster. _She was faster_. Miho stood on numb legs, forcing them into motion. She'd trained for years, since she was little, to be fast. Her body was her own, no matter what chains fell upon it. She'd nourished this body, developed it. Akimichi's were masters of their own bodies. She was the master of her own body. No chain would stop her.

She felt weightless, even as her knees buckled a bit with each step— adrift on a wind she couldn't control.

Miho threw herself forward before the sand began to move.

Gaara's ultimate defense would protect him, but what about when he tried to protect someone else, too? That was always his downfall.

That's how he died.

A voice in her head, sounding very much like Ino, was telling her how _stupid_ this was. It wasn't a plan. It was an action. It had no foresight. Maybe Shin was right. Strategy had never been her thing as much as she thought she had improved. She could do literally anything else. Or maybe this was the only thing she could think to do. To keep him safe. _Stupid! Miho, this is stupid! _But her chakra was blocked. It was being drawn out of her like poison from a wound.

And there she was. And she could do _something. _

She met them, setting her feet shoulder width apart and dropping her weight to an Akimichi brace. Sometimes…

Sometimes, the best strategy…was to take the hits.

_Thump. Thump._

Miho didn't feel two of the chains hit, but she felt the air leave her lungs. She felt the pull on her chakra. Chaos energy couldn't be captured by a chain. Her chakra though…Her chakra was being pulled from her. Soon all that would remain…would be chaos. The third chain didn't strike at all. It hit sand and dissolved, a complete miss.

Miho wasn't quite sure why she noticed that, but she did. She wasn't sure why the sand seemed to sparkle in the sun like tiny diamonds. Had it always been so pretty?

She stopped between Gaara and Tetsuya, staring up at the man. Her heart was stuttering and her breathing rattling. The clouds overhead grew darker and thunder rolled. _Tenpenchii. _Chaos. Uncontained. Unchained. Uncontrolled. Uncentered. As her chakra faded, the tenpenchii would rise to fill the gaps. Miho wasn't quite sure if the thunder was in her head or not. Her hands tingled. A cold sweat.

The priest seemed so stunned that the music stopped. The draw on her chakra paused.

He said nothing, but she could see the question in his eyes. _Why?_

Feeling nothing, Miho turned.

"Lord Kazekage…" She let out a quivering breath as she met his eyes again. They were so wide, so confused. One day, she hoped he wouldn't be so surprised. These eyes of his…They were so different now. There was no disaster there. Only a calm sort of hope. The kind that came after the sun rose in the morning after a storm passed through. Miho felt the corners of her lips tick upward. Poetic. "Lord, Kaze-kage, don't – "

When she tried to breathe in again, Miho fell.

* * *

Tetsuya eyed the three chakra chains embedded in Miho's collapsed body. She was still breathing, but the movements of her chest were shallow. He wanted to catch her body before she hit the ground, but the sand moved faster. The sand gently lowered her to the ground. Tetsuya watched, remembering a time when that same sand smelled like blood. When it cut her arms and cheeks. Damn if Tetsuya didn't want to use his sword to give the Kazekage some scars of his own.

Frankly, this whole thing seemed like an exercise in underestimation.

It was the Kazekage's underestimation of an opponent that led to this whole event. Tetsuya reaffirmed his hold on his sword. A Kage should've known better. How the hell did Gaara end up with the position if he underestimated his opponents like this?

"Lord Kazekage— This man is clearly after your Tailed Beast. It may be best if you withdraw from this fight and send backup."

He knew Gaara would _hate _that suggestion. Afterall, what leader would like hearing such a suggestion from a subordinate from _another nation_? Tetsuya rolled his shoulders. Not a great political move, but Tetsuya thought it was a fair bit better from slapping the Kage upside the head.

"I will stay. I cannot abandon a comrade to an enemy."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Tetsuya instead clicked his tongue. "The longer you stay, the longer this guy tries to drag this out. Miho's in trouble. We have to get these chains out of her or she's a goner." Swallowing down a swell of irritation, both at Miho and the Kazekage, Tetsuya shifted. "She did this to protect you. Honor that by listenin'."

He felt the Kazekage shift.

"If you want the girl to survive, allow these chains to be transferred to you, Lord Kazekage." The enemy started to play the lute once more. The chains glowed a faint gold again. Miho's chakra was being drained at three-times the speed. "I will allow a trade."

"Like hell." Tetsuya responded before Gaara could. "You're not getting a damned jinchūriki today, you bastard. So, take your guitar and take your show on the road."

The man's eyes closed, and he seemed to sigh. "A waste."

Swallowing, Tetsuya looked down at Miho again. She was getting paler. If this went on much longer, she wasn't going to make it. Her body would start changing fat to chakra to make up the difference and keep her alive. Tetsuya barely withheld a grimace. No way in hell was he letting it get that far. Miho worked so hard to keep her weight up and steady. Each time she lost too much weight in battle, it taxed her heart and organs.

No.

Not while he was here.

Damn the Kazekage. Tetsuya would do it himself.

"Protect her."

Miho was the fastest of Team Five. Tetsuya never argued that. Never tried to beat her speed. He knew he never could. Instead, Master Hayate had him focus on something else: agility. There was a difference between speed and agility. Tetsuya was behind the enemy raising his sword before the Kazekage even had a moment to respond.

He wasn't nearly as fast as Shisui of the Body Flicker, Hayate-sensei said, but— He had a _goal_.

The attacker had left his entire back flank open. Tetsuya raised his sword.

The rhythm of the lute altered, picking up speed. Faster. Faster. Faster. He brought his sword down.

Tetsuya was blown back as his sword ricocheted off of a glowing green and blue barrier.

"Son of a _bitch_!"

A moment later, a hail of senbon emerged from the glowing wall. Spinning his sword, Tetsuya deflected all of them, watching as they fell to the desert ground and vanished. Letting out a breath, Tetsuya chuckled and brushed his ponytail back over his shoulder.

"Gonna have to do better than that, you jerk! My teacher is a senbon wielder. Ever heard of the Bloody Barrage?"

The lute-player began another cadence and Tetsuya recognized it now. It was the same one he used to attack with chakra chains. The guy just wasn't giving up. The son of a bitch was either going to kill Miho or take the Kazekage's beast. Or both. He started to move, but something strange sounded over the music.

"Hey! You sick jerk! Who do you think you are, hurting one of my friends?"

Tetsuya watched as Ice Cream swept down on wings, diving down to stand near the Kazekage. If anything, she was slightly in front of Gaara, as if to shield him. Tetsuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. The guy had his Ultimate Defense. Why did everyone seem to forget that? She regained some of his respect when she moved immediately to Miho's side, hefting her up into her lap. He wondered if Fū was even thinking when she reached for the chain.

"Don't!"

The girl would have been completely knocked off her feet by the shock, he knew. Instead, she rocked back, holding onto Miho's shoulders, cursing as she cradled her arm. Tetsuya did feel some sympathy. He only knew not to do it from experience, and it hurt like hell.

"He's after the Tailed Beasts. Don't get hit by the chains."

A familiar rhythm picked up again.

Before Tetsuya could shout a warning, two things happened at once. The Kazekage moved forward to stand in front of the two kunoichi, hands outstretched, a wall of sand rising up again to protect them. There was a kind of cold ruthlessness to his eyes that was a chilling reminder of just what the Kazekage was capable of, the kind of confidence that Tetsuya thought _should _be on the face of a Kage.

That wall of sand was writhing.

This enemy attacked _Gaara of the Sand _in a _desert_.

Tetsuya couldn't think on it long before another wall began to form.

A mass of glowing blue threads grew around the three. He thought he saw the Kazekage's eyes go wide before he disappeared entirely behind a solidified green barrier. Tetsuya felt his mouth open before he snapped it shut again.

Was that…a cocoon?

The Seven-Tails was a moth, wasn't it?

The enemy attacked, a swell of energy pushing out from the barrier to collide with the cocoon. The blast was jarring, shaking the ground beneath Tetsuya's feet. Once the dust cleared, the cocoon was left unharmed. Heh. Tetsuya let out a snort. He wondered if this jerk felt impotent after that one.

Spinning his sword, he turned his attention back to the priest and his fancy barrier. The Third Stage Crescent should work nicely. Yeah…Yeah, it was time to end this.

* * *

Miho could feel cool hands on her face, and she opened her eyes. It took all of her strength to manage it. She was so strong, too. Feeling weak made Miho feel…powerless. Vulnerable. She could count the number of times she felt weak on one hand. When her eyes opened, she was met by a grinning face and bright golden eyes.

"You're awake! Good! We were so worried!"

"Fū?"

Fū nodded. The rapid up and down of her head made Miho go a bit cross-eyed. Instead of focusing on the motion, and the bile that rose up in her throat, Miho looked toward the dark figure to her left. Her breathing felt too labored. Too light and shallow for the effort she was putting in to get a full breath. She'd only felt this weak once before, but she didn't let that thought linger long in her mind.

Gaara was standing a foot away, arms crossed. His eyes focused ahead. Miho tracked his stare to a green wall, where the chakra chains disappeared. Gold trailed lightly along the chains. She looked to Gaara again. She could feel Fū looking between her and the Kazekage.

Fū adjusted her hold. "My cocoon is made of fine chakra threads. It'll slow down the drain on your chakra until help arrives."

"Tet—Tetsuya?"

"Your teammate? He's out there."

Miho let out a breath through her nose and it seemed that movement alone was enough to make her entire body feel even more lethargic. If this didn't end soon, her body would start siphoning off weight to keep her alive. Chakra depletion was one thing. If it started eating her weight, then the _tenpenchii _really would be all that was left.

It'd already happened once, when she'd first arrived to Center Mountain.

It took years to recover.

_Not_ this time.

Swallowing, Miho looked up at Gaara again. He still hadn't moved. Planning or brooding? He needed to work on that. Get better at communicating with those around him. Vaguely, she wondered if it was just because he still wasn't used to encountering people that didn't judge him or outright hate him on sight.

Deciding to forgo conversation with Gaara, Miho turned up to Fū. "Help me. Please."

"Sure?" Fū looked a bit surprised. It likely wasn't common that she'd heard those words from a kunoichi from another village. Miho forced a smile, but it was shaking with the effort. She stopped trying a moment later, letting the smile fall. "Tell me what you need and I'll do it! I'm always game to help a friend in trouble!"

Miho huffed a laugh, wincing as a particularly painful lance reverberated through her body. She bit the inside of her cheek, focusing on that pain rather than the pain of her chakra _literally being sucked from her body. _"In the inside pocket on the right side of my vest is—" She stopped and drew a breath, steadying as shivers broke out. She gritted her teeth. "There's snacks. I need…I need the protein one. The…The blue sachet."

Fū nodded, reaching into the vest and withdrawing a small beaded bag. "Is this it?" She held it up, looking at the intricate patterns. "This is pretty, you know! Did you do this?"

"Y-eah. I can't…" Swallowing, Miho looked up to Fū again, meeting her eyes. "My…My people…We run on calories. If I can increase my calories, then maybe I can…"

"Got it! Can you chew? If you can't, I can chew and drop it in your mouth like a baby bird!"

Miho nearly choked at the offer. If the circumstances were less dire, she might've laughed.

Fū and Lee were truly destined. Years ago, after particularly brutal training session with Gai-sensei, Miho complained that she was too tired to even eat. She laid on the forest floor, exhausted. Lee had offered something similar.

"_MY DEAR YOUTHFUL FRIEND! YOUR CALORIES! I CAN SUSTAIN YOU! ALLOW ME TO—" _

The absolutely mortified look on Gluten-Free's face was a sight to behold.

"I can chew. Just pop it in my mouth, okay?"

Fū nodded vigorously, following Miho's instructions carefully. The determined set of her jaw showed that she was treating this like a mission in and of itself. Miho might've laughed a bit around three protein balls. Fū beamed.

Gaara's voice interrupted. "No help will come. We will need to figure this out on our own."

Miho scoffed around the snack. "Help's probably already on the way, Lord Kazekage."

The protein balls were infused the turmeric and chakra. Five-thousand calories a piece, specifically-made for Akimichi brawlers. Miho could feel a little bit of energy returning. She'd need to start carrying soldier pills. The Nara were the Akimichi suppliers for pills. Maybe Shikamaru could help her out. It'd be troublesome, but he'd probably do it after this fiasco.

Her eyes met Gaara's as he looked down at her for the first time. She sensed his attention and looked up at him. His face was carefully void of emotion. The chakra—the chaos— thrashed and Miho went a bit breathless.

No matter how she tried to hide it, she knew he saw it.

He saw it.

This wasn't sustainable.

There was no way…Miho knew there was no way she was getting out of this unscathed. Chakra exhaustion, at the very least, would be the price.

Easily a better price than his life.

"Have— Have faith, Gaara."

His blue eyes widened at the informality. Miho didn't budge. She just gritted her teeth against a new wave of pain. The chains were still trying to capture something that couldn't be captured. They were latching onto her renewed chakra. Her caloric chakra would be next, and it would come soon. Miho beared down and rode out the wave of pain.

"That's right! Miho's got the right idea! You just gotta believe that our friends will come to help us out! Besides, we're lucky! We can stay here and not have our bijuu extracted." Fū smiled brightly, jostling Miho a bit in her excitement. Her voice and the enthusiasm she had reminded Miho again of Naruto.

Miho wondered if Gaara thought the same.

* * *

Shin watched as Tetsuya attempted to launch another offensive on the barrier. It was a lost cause, Shin knew. Tetsuya wasn't a fool. He was merely trying to distract the priest, to buy time until reinforcements arrived. Nothing, though, could be resolved until the chain was removed from Miho. To do that, he'd found the best resource he could. He turned to Sakura and gestured toward the cocoon.

"Sakura, TenTen, and I will go to that thing. The sooner Sakura can get the chain out, the better." Shin turned. "Lee and Matsuri, Team Taki, help Tetsuya." The remaining members of the team from Taki nodded. "We'll need a big distraction while we get into that cocoon." Taking lead of a team was nothing new. He'd led several teams in Root.

Thing is: In Root teams, it didn't matter if the members were injured or died. Here, it mattered. Shin swallowed thickly, looking over the situation one more time.

"Any other ideas?"

"They're both jinchūriki. Do we know…?" Sakura trailed off, leaving the question to linger in the air with another implication before she adjusted. Smart. "What his goal is?" Matsuri, the Kazekage's student, looked worried and confused by the question. Sakura met his eyes steadily, not backing down from the question. Was this enemy part of Akatsuki? If so, did he know what to expect?

"Motive doesn't matter at the moment. The reality is that we need to neutralize him before he is a further threat to either of them."

Sakura nodded.

"Go."

Shin rarely interacted with Rock Lee. Only on occasion over the past year did he watch Lee and Miho or Lee and Tetsuya spar. Most of the time, the green-clad guy was high-energy and good nature. He never refrained from a greeting or a kind word. Once, Shin had asked Miho about their relationship. Without pause, Miho smiled and said that Rock Lee was her "honor brother." Tetsuya wore a green bandana in homage to Rock Lee. It never quite made sense to Shin. He got friendships, sure, but... Rock Lee was an odd one.

Now, as Rock Lee disappeared from sight with a thunderous expression on his normally kind face, Shin understood.

The explosion on the other side of the enemy was massive, shaking the ground nearly a mile away. The shockwave was something that shook Shin to the very core.

That, from a kick that Rock Lee delivered to the barrier.

Rock Lee was very clearly a person that cared about his precious people and had no problems taking action to protect them.

Shin could respect that.

Fortunately, he and Rock Lee had the same people to protect.

Shin arrived to the cocoon with Sakura and TenTen.

"It's chakra," Sakura deduced, setting a hand upon the cocoon. "Chakra threads. It needs…" She trailed off. Shin kept his eyes on the priest, whose eyes remained closed as he focused on maintaining his rhythm and defense. With the relentless attacks and counter-attacks between the priest and the offensive at his back, he might've been distracted enough to lessen the draw on Miho's chakra. There was a light hissing sound and then a tear. "There we go."

When Shin turned, he found Sakura's green-glowing hand retracting from the cocoon.

"Sakura?"

"Told you!" A voice sounded from inside. Sakura turned to him and smiled brightly, reaching out to hold both sides of the slit open. She stepped through. He followed a moment later, leaving the primary defense to TenTen.

Inside, Miho was surprisingly conscious though she looked weak and fragile. She maintained her weight, which meant that the drain on her chakra has been slowed considerably. Shin knelt by her side, taking up one of her hands. It was clammy and she made no effort to grip his hand in return. She normally held hands with a firm grip, as if her strength alone could keep the person she held with her. Miho's weak hold alone worried him to no end. And he could feel the rage creeping up along his neck.

Looking at her fingers, Shin always thought they should have been soft. After all, she was the daughter of a Noble Clan. Instead, they were coarse and rough. Years and years of training had built up callouses. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey, honey."

Shin would have laughed if he didn't feel like some of this was his fault. The rage only grew and he drew in a breath, closing his eyes for a moment. To anyone else, it might've seemed like he needed patience to deal with his teammate. By the gleam in her eyes, Miho knew the truth. Sakura let out a giggle, settling down at Miho's other side.

"I've heard about your nicknames. Naruto used to complain that he didn't have one." She held a glowing green hand over Miho's abdomen, upper thigh, and then her left shoulder where three chains pierced through her skin. Sakura's brow contorted. "It's…linked to her tenketsu."

Shin jolted. "Tenketsu? It's drawing directly from her chakra system."

Sakura grimaced and nodded. She reached down and pressed a glowing hand to Miho's stomach. Miho flinched, but quickly seemed to gain control over the pain. The fact that she had a high pain tolerance made Shin stand and turn away, toward where he knew the others were fighting against the enemy's barrier. His hands fisted at his sides.

He knew _why_ she had such a high tolerance.

One wrong move by Sakura and Miho's whole chakra system could fail.

It was already unstable. The clouds overhead showed that. The _tenpenchii_ was leaking through her system.

If her chakra levels fell too low, then—

"Shin— Go."

He looked down and met Miho's eyes. She gave him the smallest nod. She was giving him an out, a way to get out of that space and blow off steam. A way to not feel so trapped. He couldn't imagine how trapped _she_ felt in such an enclosed area. Like how she had felt earlier in the afternoon, nearly buried alive. Again.

He'd been in that mountain. He'd watched her languish there.

He'd done _nothing_ to stop it.

He _couldn't_ do anything to stop it. Not with Sai to protect.

"We need Hinata." Sakura looked up. Her voice was even, clinical. A medic-nin through and through. "We need the Byakugan. I can't see the chakra points. They're as small as the point of a needle. I can make a chakra blade that small, but… If I make a wrong move, I could permanently damage her chakra system. I need Hinata here. Now."

Miho winced, gasping as a wave of pain seemed to break over her. He saw how the wild curls of her hair was now matted to the sides of her face. They were brushed away by the tips of Fū's fingers, who frowned at Sakura's words. Miho met Fū's eyes and winced again.

"Hold on. Where's the Kazekage?"

Shin jerked, realizing that the Kazekage was no longer in the cocoon.

It was Fū who spoke up. "He stepped out after you said it was linked to her tenketsu. I think he's got an idea." She smiled. "Leave it to him. I think he can figure it out from here. After all, he's got a friend in danger, right?" Fū's smile was bright and then brightened even further. Shin watched Miho close her eyes, relaxing into the girl's arms. "By the way, do you two want to be my friends?"

* * *

"Where's the Team Five? And hell, Team Gai? We got caught out in the storm when that Puppet Dude— the Kazekage's brother?— came and fished us out! We could've made it, but—" Kiba waved a hand in the air.

Chōji glanced toward the door, where Kankurō stood with his team. There'd been no sign of Miho or the other teams. The search parties were preparing to go back out again. Before he was waylaid by Team Eight's arrival, Chōji'd been planning to approach Kankurō about tagging along. Shikamaru stood off to the side with Temari, talking with her quietly while glancing toward the gate every so often.

Shikamaru knew something was _wrong. _Very wrong.

Barrier interference? At an exam with two jinchūriki involved? It was too convenient. This was so clearly the attack they'd been waiting for, but they'd had no luck tracing the source. Ino was having an absolute conniption about it.

She didn't like not having answers.

"I-I hope they're alright." Hinata glanced worriedly toward the door, where the horizon was barren and empty. "That storm wasn't natural." In the far distance, it seemed a storm was brewing. Just barely out of sight.

The Suna shinobi in the room tensed, obviously sensing something that no one else yet felt.

Then, the floor began to shake.

The deluge of sand was unexpected. It swept up from the floor out of nowhere, rising up from cracks in the ground. A familiar and overbearing thrill of Killing Intent swept through the room. Shino, naturally, pulled Hinata behind him and Ankamaru growled. Chōji shifted, preparing for an attack by lowering his center of gravity.

Chōji released his tension as the Kazekage materialized from the mass, stepping into the arrivals area of the central tower. His expression made Chōji tense again.

He'd seen something like that expression before, when he'd faced down Gaara in the hospital all those years ago. A sort of intensity that could rattle bones. Gaara's eyes now though…They weren't crazed. They were determined. Chōji had seen those eyes before, in the Images. When Gaara had led an army. When Gaara had defended his people. This was the Gaara Miho had been waiting for— the leader. The one she was determined to see beyond the psycho in the exams. Those eyes scanned the room.

For a moment, Chōji thought that the Kazekage was staring at him. Once the Kazekage's eyes did flick to him, Chōji knew that something was off. Gaara had never once shown such emotions before, particularly in front of foreign shinobi. Chōji saw regret and hesitance. The Kazekage refocused and the emotions disappeared.

"Hyuuga Hinata. I need you to come with me."

"Wh-What?" She seemed surprised by her own lack of formality. "Ex-Excuse me, Lord Kaze—"

"Akimichi Miho is in trouble. Damage is being inflicted to her chakra system. I need you to come with me."

Gaara turned, gesturing toward the team that had been preparing to leave. His brother stepped forward, eyes wide. Kankurō's mouth opened, but the Kazekage cut him off. "Off to the northeast, you'll find an enemy of Sunagakure. Atop the Northeastern Outcropping. I have used my Eye to locate him. He is responsible for the barrier. Capture him _alive_. Bring him back here for questioning."

Kankurō nodded and bowed, accepting the mission without question. Chōji was surprised that the puppeteer met his eyes before leaving, shouting at his team to follow. Kankurō nodded and left. Admittedly, Chōji didn't quite know what to make of Kankurō's expression or the way he'd flicked his eyes toward Gaara as if to indicate something.

"Temari."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage?" Temari stepped forward. Shikamaru was at her shoulder, eyes narrowed at the door to the desert. His friend was clearly trying to piece together whatever had happened.

Particularly whatever had happened to force the Kazekage's hand.

Whatever happened forced the Kazekage's hand in favor of saving Miho.

Chōji's fears could conjure a thousand nightmares.

Knowing his sister, many of them were very possible.

"You are in charge in my short absence, Temari. I will deal with this myself. I want the village on lockdown. Immediately."

Temari nodded, accepting the leadership charge. She stepped away, looking to the teams gathered for redeployment to the desert to gather the remaining stranded teams. "On me, everyone. Let's look sharp."

Finally, the Kazekage turned back to Hinata. One of his hands outstretched and a section of sand rose up to create a platform. "Hurry. There is not much time."

Chōji watched as Hinata sat a hand on Shino's shoulder before looking up at her teammate. He nodded only a moment later, letting her on the sand platform. Gaara looked away from Hinata, obviously confident she would follow his instructions. Sure enough, she stepped onto the sand behind him.

"Hold up! Someone needs to go with Hinata!" Kiba shouted, earning a back-up bark from Ankamaru.

"Akimichi."

Chōji turned and met the Kazekage's eyes. Gaara's arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. Then, he nodded. Chōji didn't hesitate, climbing onto the sand as quickly as he could. It began moving as soon as he was on-board.

"The rest of you, notify your team leaders." Gaara called over his shoulder as the sand swept out into the heat of the desert. "Now."

Chōji was careful about centering his mass so that he didn't fall, but Hinata seemed a bit unbalanced by the speed. She wavered on her feet. Chōji reached out and settled a hand on her upper back, keeping her steady.

"Th-Thank you."

"Lord Kazekage, what happened to my sister?"

Chōji had a lot more questions than that, but he'd ask them later, when his sister was safe. Nervous energy thrummed under his skin when the Kage didn't respond. His hands fisted. How was he supposed to prepare to help and protect his sister if Gaara wouldn't be clear about whatever had happened? A light touch to his left hand made him look down to Hinata's face. Her expression was so kind and the touch on his fist so gentle that Chōji loosened his hands again.

He gave her a thankful look before facing ahead.

"She protected me." Gaara said. His voice was a bit muffled by wind, but Chōji heard it.

Chōji could see the picture clear in his mind. Miho with her strong stance, shoulders squared as she braced in front of Gaara, ready to take any blow that came for him.

Miho was willing to do that for a lot of people. Her friends and family.

Chōji knew, though, that list had always included Gaara. Even when Gaara was crazed with exhaustion and manipulation. Even when he injured her, drew her blood. She would lay down her life for Gaara as easily as she would Naruto. As easily as she would for him. He never, ever wanted it to come to that. In many ways, Chōji realized that he still had the same fears as when he was a child.

Because his sister would never change. She would never budge on these things. As sure as anything, his sister would take the blows meant for others.

They arrived to a strange scene. Dust seem to hang in the air, kicked up by what was probably relentless attacks by Tetsuya and Lee if their panting was anything to go by. A constant lute strumming was bouncing off the nearby mesas from the man on the rock outcropping.

A strange chain-like shape materialized and fired at the Kazekage, whose sand blocked the chain without a second glance. Gaara jerked his head toward a strange green cocoon-like structure. "Lady Hyuuga, with me." His eyes turned to Chōji. "She is in here, but I suggest you—" Another three chains attacked in rapid succession.

Chōji got the picture, turning to face the attacker. Chōji leapt into action, throwing himself into a spin. The chains deflected away. Chōji stopped a moment later, crouched in front of the cocoon. This was the man who harmed Miho. That much was clear. And that was all he needed to know.

Behind him, Gaara and Hinata immediately entered a slit in the cocoon.

"Well, now it's a party!"

The voice from within the cocoon was unrecognizable.

Those chains…They were in Miho. They were draining her chakra. Killing her.

Chōji turned a bit to face the enemy, letting his hands fall to his sides. His father always said that his strength and his weakness lay in his emotions. At that moment, Chōji felt a flare of anger so white-hot he could feel himself getting larger without even realizing that he'd formed the hand signs. He planted a foot on either side of the cocoon and glared down at the enemy.

The man's eyes opened and Chōji saw them widen.

"You are _not _harming them."

The man raised his hand to play a new tune, but stopped. His eyes went even wider.

The chains stopped glowing then went slack, pulling free of the cocoon. They changed appearance, from normal chains to black symbols that seemed to thrash about in the air. Whatever barrier the man had erected collapsed as the snake-like lines thrashed about around him, his expression becoming more and more fearful.

"Chōji?"

Chōji glanced down to see his sister stepping out from the cocoon, holding tightly to Sakura and Hinata's forearms. She was too pale. She was shaking. His sister was _weak_.

Miho was never weak.

Releasing the growth jutsu, Chōji shrank down and then ran to her. He nearly threw his arms around her, but stopped short. She chuckled at his hesitance, reaching up to pat his chest. "Oh, come on, Chōji. I'm alright! I'm fine!" He leaned down to study her face— which was dirty, sweaty, and exhausted. Her wild curls were sweat-matted and messy. "Don't give me that look! I'm okay! Right, Sakura?"

Sakura just smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "You're definitely not great. You're severely chakra depleted and are probably going to pass out soon." Her tone was matter-of-fact.

Miho shot her a glare, but didn't argue. She hauled in a breath, attempting to steady herself. Chōji knew his sister though. It was all an act. Losing as much chakra as she likely lost, Miho wouldn't be able to keep up a tough act for long. It would be better to head it off before—

"Well, that's somethin' you don't see every day."

Was that the jinchūriki from Taki? She came up to Sakura's side, linking her arm with Haruno's. Sakura looked a bit surprised by the familiar gesture, but smiled anyway. Fū? That was her name. Fū pointed toward the outcropping. The flailing symbol chains tightened onto the enemy, locking him into his sitting position as he rolled down the hillside. He landed in a painful heap at the bottom of the rocks.

"Funny how things..." Miho murmured, but her voice trailed off.

Chōji turned to see her barely standing upright, eyes closing. She began to stumble, seeming to take both Hinata and Sakura by surprise. They weren't ready to catch her weight. He knew they could, being kunoichi, but they weren't ready. Before Chōji even begin to catch her, sand came up underneath her body as she passed out. It eased her down. Chōji looked over to the Kazekage's back as he strode toward the bound enemy. It was as if the sand moved on its own until Gaara looked back over his shoulder for just a moment.

Fū let out a laugh, moving to shift his sister to her back. She grinned from where she knelt by the sand bed, poking at Miho's cheek and pushing her dirty black curls out of her face. "See? _See? _ Friends! It's great!"

* * *

**A/N:** First and foremost, thank you all for your encouraging words! Thank you for your kudos and bookmarks and subscriptions. I was so excited to post this chapter because it is a turning point! Or at least, it marks a pretty significant shift that will have a pretty huge impact later on in the story.

This story has now broken 200,000 words, making this the longest single-run story I've written. My other "longest" fic was broken into two independent stories. That makes this the longest fic I've ever written! I always knew my longest fic would be a Naruto piece. This story has been coming for almost a decade.

Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me your thoughts and look out for the end of this arc next week!


	31. Part II: Repetition

Miho tried to keep her mind focused, but voices were breaking through the calm. Voices, in the rush of wind. It reminded her too much of— A sharp slash to her right arm and Miho's eyes flew open. The swirling clouds continued to spin around her, but she could sense them dissipating as the wind eased and calmed. Her eyes focused on the gash, which bled freely into the sleeve of her tunic. The blood melted between the simple beaded patterns on the sleeve cuff.

Heart racing, her mind tried to make sense of the sensations.

Like déjà vu or a half-forgotten dream.

"_Hold on!"_

"I'm gonna try again." Her attention traveled over to Grandfather Ha and Master Torifu, both of whom had similar looks of frustration. Two different species had equally dull stares. She laughed at them then, waving them off with a blood-covered hand. They stared, not amused. "I'll be fine!"

It wasn't the car and the wreck. She fell into that scene so easily now that she was learning, slowly, how to break its hold. It didn't have the same power as it once did. She heard the screaming metal and the whirling screeching. She pushed past it. She had to. She had to overcome it. It was only one death among many. It couldn't hold so much power. Too much power.

There was something new. Something that felt…important. Right there.

The memory was _right there._

"_Everyone, it's okay! It's okay. We're okay. We're good. We're good."_

"_Mommy!"_

"_I'm right here, baby."_

"_Shh…Shh…"_

"_Stay calm. It's okay. We'll be okay, everyone. We'll be okay!"_

The rush of wind was so deafening that Miho couldn't hear anything else. Just the wind and the screaming. The memory was one that echoed. It rattled around in her mind, underneath the rolling Jeep. Underneath the underneath. People screaming, people praying, people holding onto each other in the darkness. People shielding strangers. She was there among them, bracing herself over someone's body. She tried to yell over the wind. She tried to be heard over the collapsing building and the screeching metal.

A small room in a small store in a small town and a really big storm.

The tornado was ripping through. If the walls fell, they would die.

They would be torn apart.

"_Hold on!"_

The chakra was pulling her with it, drawing her further from the safety of the familiar. From the safety of the chakra in her meat, in her fat. The chakra she'd known her whole life. The safety of her familiar nature chakra that flowed in her veins.

Chakra was meant to flow as you commanded it, as you shaped it. Chakra use was all about _control._ Miho drew in a breath and let her chakra move _with_ the chaos, drawn around the center. She tried to use the chakra to hold herself in place, pushing it to her limbs. She was strong. Stronger than this.

It was chakra tearing at that small room, tearing at the screaming bodies.

How could she hold on? She had to. If she let go, they'd die. It was pulling at them, trying to drag them out. Like it tried to drag her out out of that car.

Other faces flashed in her mind. As if they were in that dark place with her, as if the walls were crashing down onto them. Miho shouldered the wall up, keeping it from crashing down. Genma-sensei, Tetsuya, Shin, Lee, Ino, Shikamaru, Chōji, Naruto. Kankurō. Gaara.

If she let go, would they be safe?

Pain started to build as the wind lashed harder and the weight grew heavier. She couldn't shoulder the weight anymore. She couldn't shield them from the chaos or the winds. She weight fell as somewhere a support collapsed. There was screaming. As if they knew...

Pain...was coming.

"Let go, Miho."

"Let go, cub!"

Pein was coming.

* * *

Miho gasped, eyes snapping open. Her chest heaved. Her throat felt tight, as if her chest was too heavy for her to continue laying there. Miho pushed her arms down into the mattress, maneuvering herself upright as she looked around the room. Once upon a time, her body felt too heavy for her arms. Now, she could lift her own weight up with ease.

A hospital room, clearly. All hospital rooms looked the same, even across borders. This one was painted a muted beige with a watercolor savanna vista on the wall opposite the bed. Muted blues and whites and auburns. The white curtains were drawn back, revealing sunshine outside. Sandstone buildings and a bright blue sky. Her eyes trailed to a clock by the bed.

Zero seven hundred hours.

Over in the corner, there were two backpacks. Clearly both Shin and Tetsuya had been in the room. She could even smell Tetsuya's familiar muscle balm. Spearmint and eucalyptus. His shoulder was probably strained. He only ever used the balm when he overextended. The scent was comforting. Familiar. Safe. They must have stepped out for a minute.

She pressed both hands to her too-dry face, pulling in a breath between her palms.

There was a soft click from the door and Miho dropped her hands to her lap, leaning forward to get a glimpse at the visitor past the privacy curtain.

Lee paused, looking first at the backpacks before lifting his eyes to the bed. Miho smiled when she saw how his large eyes brightened. He hurried through the door, carefully shutting it like the respectful person he was, before bounding over to the bed.

"Miho! It—It is so good to see you awake, my friend! I was so worried when Shin found my team and told us of your predicament! By the time I arrived to your side, you had already fallen unconscious!"

Miho held open her arms and he didn't hesitate to throw himself into them. She didn't miss how fierce his embrace was or the sniffles that he was trying to hide in the mass of her hair. His hug was so all-encompassing that the tips of his fingers did meet at her spine. It was like he was trying to hold her together himself.

She wouldn't put it past him, even if she was falling apart.

Rock Lee would be the one to hold her together by sheer force of will.

"I'm good, Rock. I'm okay." He pulled away and sat in the nearest beside chair, hands pressed against his knees. His eyes were narrowed. "This is hardly the worst shape you've seen me in. I haven't even lost weight!" Miho patted her stomach, smiling.

"The beautiful flower, Sakura, said that you are only alive because the enemy intended to use you as bait and was not withdrawing as much chakra as he could."

Miho raised her brows and then nodded. "Okay. It doesn't change the fact that this is not the worst you've seen me."

There was a moment when his lips turned downward, and an angry glint flicked in his normally bright eyes. Miho instantly knew she'd mis-stepped. He almost never showed his frustration like that. "You cannot compare every injury to _that_. It does not matter how badly you are hurt, only that you are." His voice had a tone of light chastisement, even if his eyes seemed to be telling a different story. "_Downplaying_ your injuries does not _negate_ the injuries. You are still injured."

Pulling in a deep breath, Miho nodded. He was right, even if she knew anything short of the post-Danzō experience paled in comparison. Then again…Miho's mind flickered back to weeks and weeks spent at Rock's side in the hospital. "Why do I feel like someone told _you_ that at some point?"

Rock Lee— Injury Downplayer Extraordinaire.

His expression turned a bit guilty and maybe a little proud. "Gai-sensei taught me the lesson that injuries and hurts are not meant to be compared. They are meant to be healed!" He raised a fist, looking off into the middle-distance over Miho's stomach toward the far wall. "While I know that many injuries that I face will not be as bad as some I have already faced, that does not mean that my pain does not matter! And it does not mean that I am weak for being injured! It merely means that I have an opportunity to grow through another circumstance!"

Miho reached out her left hand, which twinged a bit with the needle shifting under her skin. She sat it on top of his head and patted down a stray black hair. He looked at her, thick brows pulled together. "You're right. You're always teaching me."

His mouth started to open but there was a knock at the door.

"This is such a drag. She's _fine._ Let's just—"

"One foot in front of the other, Nara." Ino's voice ground out. Miho met Rock's eyes and smiled. He turned in the chair to watch the show.

Miho grinned as Shikamaru slouched in, hands stuffed in his pockets. He huffed, sharp eyes doing a quick inventory of her visible injuries (which there were none) and the IV pole by her bed. A moment later, Miho met his eyes, raising her brows as she waited for his assessment. His mouth opened, but he was steamrolled by Ino who diverted around him— because he was taking too long— and struck his shoulder with such force that he yelped.

"Geez, woman!"

Cringing back into the pillows, Miho watched as Ino posted herself at the foot of the bed. Her blue eyes flashed in that dangerous way they did when she was angry.

"Hello, my dear best friend whom I adore."

Oh.

_Oh no._

Miho lifted her IV-less hand and pressed it to her forehead.

"Nuh-uh, uh-uh. No. You don't get to look exasperated. You don't get that right. Do you wanna know _why_ you don't get that right?" Ino paused, hands going to her hips. Miho meekly lowered her hand again, watching Ino to hear the answer…because there was no-way-in-hell Miho was going to say anything. Anything she said would be wrong. "Well? Do you know _why_ you don't get to look exasperated with _literally _any of us?"

"Because she tried to martyr herself for the Kazekage?"

If Miho could've leapt from the hospital window, she would have. Surely Kankurō would help to hide her in his village, right? He would. She knew he would. They had that kind of friendship, right? The 'if you commit a crime, I'll help' friendship. Tetsuya's expression was smug when he strolled past Shikamaru, placing a sympathetic hand on the Nara's shoulder. If possible, Shikamaru deflated more as he leaned back against the wall.

Ino's eyes blazed as she pointed to Miho's teammate. "_No, _because she did it _twice!"_ Ino threw up both hands before dragging them through her hair. "The first time, sure. She's fast. She could've attacked the enemy, but whatever— She decided to become a shield. Fine. Okay. The second time? Two times?"

Miho grimaced, studiously not looking at Shikamaru for help.

Because he definitely wouldn't get involved in this.

And she knew Tetsuya would be no help either.

"Three times, if we're being technical." Tetsuya supplied.

Ino gestured with a very emphatic 'you see?' wave of her arms. "Did you not think that _maybe_, just _maybe, _the Kazekage— Gaara of the _Sand_— was going to be okay in his own damn _desert_? Surrounded. by. sand." Ino huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Look, I get that the Kazekage gets distracted. He defaults to _protect_ first and _strategy_ later—"

"Sounds familiar." Tetsuya nodded sagely.

Miho shot him a withering look. He held up both hands.

"— but that's no reason for you to go Noble Sacrifice Mode as Plan A. Save it for, like, Plan F."

_That literally gets him _killed_, Ino. _Miho reminded in her head. _He dies protecting his village. _

Ino's blue eyes narrowed dangerously as her arms crossed. _He wasn't going to die in the exams and you damn well knew it. He would've been fine._

_Because he _dies_ at a later date?_ Miho held Ino's stare, not backing down. _I didn't know what was going to happen! We don't know how far the cascade extends! Sure, it wasn't Deidara, but—_ Things could have changed.

Miho blinked, looking over to where Shikamaru had shifted off the wall. He looked bored and long-suffering, sighing as he eyed their silent exchange. "The two of you wanna share with the rest of the class?" When neither Miho nor Ino responded, Shikamaru shuffled forward, reaching down to set a hand on Miho's left shin. "'s good you're okay. _We're_ glad you're okay." He turned to look up at Ino, who kept her expression flat before relenting.

"I'm glad you're okay." Ino murmured, her ire settling just a bit. "I just...Don't do that again."

"Besides, fussing at her doesn't work. Reasoning with her does."

"Don't talk like I'm a toddler, Shikamaru." Miho warned.

She wasn't in the mood to be treated _less than. _Especially for something she felt was the right decision.

He held her stare for a long moment before sighing. "Fine, fine."

Ino snorted, shaking her head. "At least— this time— you didn't argue that it _wasn't a big deal."_

Rock choked on nothing, coughing as he pounded his own chest, and Miho scrambled to pat him on the back. By the suspicious looks on Ino, Shikamaru, and Tetsuya's faces, they already knew. Miho just smiled, scratching the back of her head.

She was sure she was in for a lot more chastisement before the day was done.

* * *

"— practically forced her way into the Suna Barrier Sphere Room. It was a drag, but the expression on Kankurō's face was funny at least."

Miho barked a laugh, holding onto her stomach. Shikamaru looked awfully smug, leaning back in the chair nearest the window.

There were boxes and boxes of to-go food strewn all over the room. At least three empty boxes, which previously held piping-hot skewers from a nearby street vendor, were strategically stacked on the bedside table. Her brother was still eating a bowl of spiced rice cakes as he sat on the floor in the corner.

"Kankurō let her in?"

"Level Two clearance, but yeah. Ino's the best-of-the-best after her father. Suna knows how to use resources."

Still, she knew it bothered Ino that it was the Kazekage who found the shinobi who started the barrier before she could. To use her own words against her, _Gaara _and his _desert. _No way would Miho say that out loud to Ino. Shikamaru raised a brow at Miho's distraction and she waved him off. "Was it ever sorted what their aim was?"

"Suna's not spilling. At least, not at our level. When Asuma-sensei left earlier, he had a scroll."

A message for the Hokage, most likely detailing whatever had happened. It needed to be secure enough that it couldn't be carried via a regular hawk or standard low-level courier.

"Are they placing a guard on Fū?"

The silence that met her question was frightening. Miho shifted, glancing to Chōji before meeting Shikamaru's eyes again.

"Are they?"

He shrugged his shoulders, raising his arms over his head in a stretch. To top off the theatrics, he feigned a dramatic yawn. Miho stared at him, frowning. Avoidance? Really? His voice was lower when he responded, which meant that he was consciously sidestepping her question. "It's getting late. Our shift's gonna end soon. Genma-sensei said he'd be here in the morning with the two goofs, right?" He pushed himself up out of his chair.

"Shikamaru."

"Miho." Chōji spoke up, pushing himself up off the floor as well. He came to the end of her bed, where Ino had stood hours before. The contrast between the two was something else. Her brother was so much more subdued than Ino. Still his eyes held a certain amount of steel that she didn't remember from the Images. Shikamaru shuffled past him, toward the door. Path of least resistance and all that. He wanted to get out of Dodge before Miho asked any more questions. "Leave it for now. Okay?"

They _had _to put a guard on Fū. She hadn't left Suna yet. Surely, they knew that as soon as she left the village, she was going to be killed. Her tailed beast would be taken. Miho went to open her mouth, but her brother shook his head. He glanced to the window and then back to her again. Miho followed his eyes and then looked to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru just raised his brows before shrugging in a kind of 'what can you do?' way.

They couldn't establish a privacy seal here. It'd be too suspicious, especially with the ANBU guards.

Damn it.

"Okay."

Shikamaru folded both arms behind his head. "Just focus on resting for now, okay? Leave the rest to us."

It didn't matter who they were being watched by. Any further discussion would give away a level of knowledge that simply wasn't possible. Like knowing there was an impending threat to Fū, the jinchūriki of another village. It wouldn't bode well if that threat came to fruition and Konohagakure did nothing to prevent it. Yet, Miho knew, the Hokage had been trying for nearly a year to get the other villages to acknowledge an ongoing threat to the jinchūriki.

No one but Gaara gave the Hokage the time of day.

Miho met Shikamaru's eyes.

If anyone could figure things out, he could. Miho let out a breath and nodded.

Chōji smiled, reaching down to pinch at her foot. "We'll see you tomorrow afternoon for the Kazekage's address. Get some rest."

Sunagakure's hospital was particular about visitors, not allowing them past a certain time in the evening when the scorpions and scarabs were out and about in the night. Kankurō had written one of his letters from the burn unit three floors down about six months into her training at Center Mountain. He'd described the general rules of the village about curfews and how often he tried to break those rules to general calamity.

Looking toward the window, Miho just couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She thought the feeling would fade after Shikamaru and Chōji left. There was no potential for conversation and no way that an audience could learn anything.

The more she sat with the feeling, the more she recognized it. Before, it was a sense of dread, how prey might've felt with a predator lingering out of sight. A sort of pressure on the base of her neck that stretched over her shoulders. Now, it was…different. The pressure was the same, but it was merely observational. There was no threat in it.

Miho swallowed and looked around the room, focusing on the top left corner, above the door. It was in the shadows there. A floating sand orb that appeared to be a blue eye. The sight of it was discomfiting. Something she'd only see in the Images. It was a breach of privacy, certainly, but she was a shinobi and she'd long since abandoned her thoughts on privacy. Particularly in another ninja village.

Unlike before, in Konoha— surrounded by Naruto and civilians, this Gaara was not a predator or a disaster waiting to mount casualties.

This time, she felt comfortable confronting Gaara.

"I appreciate that you're checking on me. At least, that's what I hope this is, Lord Kazekage." Miho dipped her head toward the orb.

For a moment, it stayed eerily still. Miho questioned herself for a moment on whether or not she made the right decision in calling it out. More than that, whether or not she was just imagining it. Perhaps her chakra exhaustion conjured it from a half-remembered memory.

Then, it floated downward and over until it hovered just at the edge of the bed.

The pupil of the eye was the same color of his eyes. Miho was reminded of blue lingcod her father brought back from the capital after the sanctions "ended." They'd grilled it. Bright blue-green, like the turquoise beads she'd sewn into her yukata sleeves.

She looked at it.

"I hope your students are alright."

Once upon a time, she had students too.

It was one of her most desperate hopes that they were safe, prospering, happy...

The eye didn't move. Its stare was a bit unnerving. Miho looked away, toward the window where she was sure additional ears were listening into the one-sided conversation. Perhaps they were Suna ANBU? Or worse… Sasori was the spymaster, wasn't he? How often did he return to Suna? There was a shifting sound and she looked over to find the eye pointed down. To her wringing hands. She immediately stopped the motion and rolled her shoulders back.

"Force of habit. Tetsuya—my teammate, the one with the sword?— he hates when I do that."

It was silent for a moment, but the eye didn't leave.

Which meant he wanted something.

Probably an explanation of some kind? After all, a stranger—one that he had threatened in the past— had saved him. Or at least significantly interfered in a threat upon his life. Miho felt her instincts taking over. When her instincts took over, they always seemed to focus on one of two things. Or both things in this case.

"You know…Naruto is obsessed with ramen? People like to give him a hard time about it. He stockpiles ramen packages. To anyone who doesn't know him, they would think it's comical. Sometimes, it is. When he gets _really _excited about ramen after a mission or whatever, he gets this thrilled smile on his face. He just gets _so happy _about ramen. See, for someone like me…Food has more meaning. Food can tell us a lot about a person. Who they are. What they value. It's not that Naruto is obsessed with ramen."

She looked up to the floating eye. Even without a physical body present, she knew Gaara was listening. Intently. He was listening because Naruto was a beacon to him at the moment. Naruto, to him, was a lighthouse in a sea of self-doubt. Naruto was that for so many people.

"See, ramen is cheap in the Land of Fire. It's the cheapest meal you can get. For a long while in Naruto's childhood, ramen was all he could afford. No one showed him how to cook either, so…water plus microwave was easy for an abandoned six-year-old to understand." The anger she felt saying that out loud was something she had to swallow down. "Some of the only kindness he was shown was from the ramen stall owner, who gave him free ramen whenever he could."

There was no way Gaara could see where she was going with this, Miho knew. Still, she'd already started the story. She might as well finish it.

"Ramen, to Naruto, is _home. _It fills him up in ways takoyaki and skewers can't. It's the best comfort food he has. Because ramen is what got him through until…Well, until he had a better diet. Comfort food is...something that makes you feel...connected. To yourself or to others or a place. It makes you _feel _good. Mine is cookies. Ramen is Naruto's comfort food." Smiling a bit, she turned to the eye. "Do you know what Naruto asked me once? He was telling me about your fight, how you were friends now. How you shared the same pain… What you went through...This was after you helped my brother when you all rescued Sasuke... Naruto asked me if I thought you'd ever had ramen before."

Miho laughed a bit, shaking her head at the memory. Her eyes went a bit unfocused.

Naruto had sat on the edge of her bed while Tetsuya was off at physical therapy, lamenting the fact that he doubted if Gaara had _ever _had ramen. It wasn't a _thing _in Suna. To Naruto though, the weight of that question was so, so much more.

Miho knew that. Naruto knew that.

Pressing her lips together, she looked at the floating eye. "I stepped in front of that chain because…Well, because you're Naruto's friend. One of his dearest friends. Because you helped protect my brother when you didn't have to. Because you went to help your students and might've gotten hurt in the process. I…I respect all of that. I respect you, even after our not-so-great first meetings."

She smiled, lips still sealed together. All of that was true. What good did it do to not say these things out loud? She was sure he was trying to rationalize it out. With how confused and shocked he was on the battlefield, Miho was sure he would try to figure it out.

After all, he was still working to understand others one step at a time.

"I did it because that question is still in my head, too— the one Naruto asked me. Whether or not you've had ramen. Or maybe whether or not you've found your own ramen." Miho shook her head and smiled, laughing a bit at the ridiculousness of her words. To a floating eye avatar of the Kakzekage. "I don't even know if I'm making sense anymore. All I know is that…" Miho looked at the eye again. "Naruto counts you as a friend and I hope that we can be friends one day, too."

After a long moment, the eye began to dissolve. She watched as the grains trailed away. Miho settled back into the pillows, watching as the sand wafted toward the window. She was sure the grains could fit through the seal. They sparkled a bit in the moonlight.

* * *

When Tetsuya and Shin mother-henned, they did so with a certain kind of dramatic flair that even Genma had to respect the effort. Shin fell so easily into mother-henning because his brother was a mess. An absolute mess. Miho often used a phrase from her previous life to describe Sai— "hot mess." Genma liked the phrase. It applied to a lot of people he knew. Shin had a steady hand. Tetsuya had years of practice and had even turned his henning efforts toward _finally _getting Hayate to do Yugao's nesting activities. Painting the nursery, putting together the diaper table... It was hardly-moving, but his busy-body student was difficult to completely ignore.

In short, Tetsuya and Shin were practically jōnin-ranked Mother Hens and Genma thought it was spectacular.

Miho sat up in the bed, looking so positively _done _with everything that her eyes were half-closed. He wondered exactly when her two teammates had arrived that morning. Six or seven-hundred at least. Genma hadn't arrived until closer to nine, coffee in hand. Tetsuya was smug, smirking from where he sat in the window. Shin also looked decidedly pleased with himself, smiling down at his book.

Genma looked between the three, raising his brows and sipping his coffee.

"So…Was there an agreement to disagree or…?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Nope."

Miho sighed. Maybe she'd been hanging around the Nara for too long. That put-upon sigh looked _too _familiar. "I made the best decision I could. I'm sorry that ended up with me in this situation, but—"

"Do you or do you not have a weapon?"

Miho's mouth opened then snapped shut. She considered for a moment, then "Listen—"

Tetsuya shrugged. "You made _a _decision, not the best decision. _A _decision. That's not what we're bothered about."

"I was already chewed out by Ino, or have you already forgotten that? I don't need to be chastised by everyone. I'm the same rank as you. Same age as you. I'm not a child and I don't like being treated as one. So if you're both gonna keep treating me like I'm not capable of thought, I'm gonna ask you both to leave."

Genma raised his brows at the tone. When she was younger, there was sometimes a hard edge to her voice. It had always reminded him of Chōza, that hard Akimichi timbre. His teacher used it often during the war and when he was serious. Now, as her voice matured, it lowered. When she began to lose her patience, it canted to an even lower register. That, was an Okuda Keisuke trait through and through. It was a good mix of Chōza and Keisuke.

Genma wondered if Chōza had noticed.

Considering how rarely she used that tone, probably not.

Considering Chōza and Miho didn't encounter each other very often, probably not.

"Who else has offered their opinions?" Shin wondered aloud with a tilt of his head. Patient or patronizing, Genma wasn't quite sure. Neither seemed particularly wise, but Genma was interested to see how it played out. "I doubt that Hinata or Sakura would…"

Miho's eyes narrowed. Uh oh. Genma quickly looked up to the ceiling, propping his arms behind his head. He knew that look, too. Really, Tetsuya knew that look. Which either meant that he wasn't paying attention to the exchange, or he was priming for an argument. Out of the corner of his eye, Genma tried to gauge Tetsuya's intentions.

The brat was staring out at the Suna skyline.

Stupid.

Tetsuya should be more perceptive. Situational awareness was one of his fortes.

"Well, everyone's been _very helpful_ in providing their opinions. It's been very enlightening. That being said, very few have wondered about my motivations for my decisions— however poorly they played out."

_That_ brought Tetsuya's head back around.

"While we're on the topic, since you two are keen to keep discussing it, I wonder how much better it would've been if the Kazekage's beast _was _removed. Or better yet, how distinctly _great _it would have been if _both _Tailed Beasts were removed so close to a densely populated village. An ally village at that."

She nodded, calm and collected. Her voice was steady, and her chin raised. Genma might've snorted in amusement, but he was going to let them resolve this on their own. It wasn't the first major disagreement of the new team, but they needed to figure out how to navigate these things as adults. Genma closed his eyes and settled back, propping his feet on the bed. This signaled to them that he was going to_ stay out of it_.

"Please trust me to make the best decision I can in any given circumstance, okay? Disagreeing is fine. Personally, I would've preferred not to, you know, be _impaled _by chakra chains." He could hear Shin scoff from the corner. "We wouldn't be a team if we didn't disagree sometimes, but…Chastising me like I'm a child isn't going to help me grow. It's treating me like I'm not capable. _I am_. I knew that you two would be there to do whatever needed to be done." She let out a breath. "You know I'm capable, so this whole thing feels..."

Tetsuya's voice was unsteady, but he was trying to hide it. His student was trying so hard to hide it. "If we lost you…If I-I lost you..."

Genma was reminded once more of how close Team Five got to being killed off. How close both Tetsuya and Miho had gotten to death. That still weighed heavily, even two years later. Tetsuya bore the scars, both on his face and in his mind. Genma wouldn't be surprised if those scars cut down to his students' very souls. They'd always be 'the team that lost a member.'

"You didn't lose me. You're not going to for a long, long time." Miho's voice was sure, sturdy. Absolutely confident. It was almost reassuring. She was never that confident regarding _anything _in the future tense. "After all, I've gotta see you master the Crescent Style and ask that guy at the bookshop on a date."

At this, Genma pulled his feet from the edge of the bed, sitting up. His eyes focused on Miho, who demurely popped a protein ball into her mouth. She smiled around it as she chewed. That smile was just a little _too _self-satisfied. An expert change-in-subject. Truly befitting a friend of Yamanaka Ino. Genma would commend it later, but he was more focused on something else.

"What was that? Gotta what now?" Genma looked between Miho and Tetsuya.

"There's five levels to Moon Style, right?" Miho questioned, looking to Tetsuya for confirmation.

"_No_. Not that. The other part. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Something about asking out a guy at the bookshop? What guy? What bookshop? Our bookshop?" Genma turned to Tetsuya, senbon clicking against his teeth as he moved it to the other side of his mouth. "What guy at the bookshop?"

Ever the politician's grandson, Tetsuya's expression was blank. _Emphatically_ blank. "No idea what she's raving about, boss. I think she might've hit her head when she passed out on the battlefield."

"Did I?" Miho questioned, lifting her brows. "Hmm."

Tetsuya glared at her before looking down to Shin, who had steadfastly refocused on his book. Despite Shin's obvious attempt to stay out of this little debate, his shoulders were shaking as he hid behind the book. "You know what, Chuckles? I think you're—"

A knock on the door drew his attention away from Shin's laughter and Tetsuya's primed position on the window seal ready to lay into his teammates. Miho called for the visitor to enter, laughing a bit at Tetsuya's sour look.

Genma wasn't entirely surprised when the Kazekage's brother stepped through the door. The kid quickly did a once-over of the room before nodding to Tetsuya and Shin in greeting. His attention also seemed to linger a bit longer on the top right of the window, where the ANBU guard was stationed.

Miho beamed at the sight of him. The kind of true smile that made her eyes turn to half-circles above her cheeks.

With a confident swagger the kid didn't have two years before, the Suna jōnin smirked and moved toward the bed. He clearly did a once-over, checking her for any visible injuries. Seeing none, his eyes flickered to her teammates.

"Tetsuya. Shin."

"Sup, Kankurō?" Tetsuya greeted with a grin.

"Shiranui."

Genma raised his brows, moving the senbon from one side of his mouth to the other again. "Hey."

The kid shrugged, looking at Miho. "Hey, trouble." The uncertainty of two years ago was definitely long gone. Then, Genma saw it. A small green bag with a freakin' pink bow held in his right hand. Apparently, Tetsuya saw it as well.

"Don't throw those at her." Tetsuya warned. "With the mood Chubs's in, she might just chuck them back."

Miho scoffed, finally taking her eyes off the puppeteer. Her smile disappeared. "Excuse me? When have I ever thrown food? When have I ever _chucked _food? It goes against the Akimichi Ways. It's literally in my blood to _not _throw food. Also, I'm not 'in a mood' just because I disagree with you. How about the next time you disagree with me I say the same thing about you, huh?" Tetsuya looked properly scolded. She turned to Kankurō and grinned again. "I assume those are my cookies."

Kankurō scoffed, holding the bag up. "These? Nah, this is my lunch. Why in the world would I bring you cookies? Ridiculous." He grabbed the chair on the other side of the bed and spun it around, settling a leg on either side as he straddled it. Miho just lifted a brow, looking unimpressed at the smooth action.

Genma vaguely wondered if it would cause an international incident if he used a senbon to knock one of the legs off the chair. He could do it from this angle. No one would be the wiser. No one would know. Aoba wasn't here to stop him.

"Yeah, funny story actually: I come down from my room this morning, about to go on my guard shift, and I happen to find twelve cooling Suna scotches sitting on the counter in our kitchen. I sure as hell didn't bake 'em." Kankurō tone was baiting, teasing.

"You said Temari's a terrible baker."

Just how much did they write in their letters?

He knew they'd been writing each other since she'd left for training.

Two years of letters and—

"Yeah, nah. She's a shit baker, okay? It's bad. The only reason I've got any meat on my bones is because _I'm _a good cook." Miho laughed, shaking her head. Genma couldn't articulate how _bad of a feeling _he got hearing that bit of trivia about the Sand Prince. "Process of elimination. Who else in my house could've baked these cookies? Definitely a mystery." Apparently, not that big of a mystery. Miho's eyes widened in recognition. Kankurō sat the bag of cookies on the edge of her bed before resting both arms on the back of the chair. He looked up at her from under his dark eyelashes. "Anyway, I figure Gaara baked these for you. He sure didn't bake 'em for me and Temari doesn't like this recipe. He knew I was plannin' to bring you cookies."

"Those are some logical leaps," Shin observed.

Kankurō shrugged. "I know my brother."

Genma couldn't quite tell who was more flabbergasted: Miho or the remaining members of Team Five, himself included.

"The Kazekage…baked me cookies?"

Shin was the first to recover. He laughed like it was the best thing he'd heard all year, and Genma promptly glared. That was the kind of reaction Aoba would have to such news. And Genma _didn't need_ Aoba's influence here. Not one bit. Aoba was a hopeless and hapless romantic. He didn't need his help at all. "Well, you know, there's a sequence of words you don't hear every day."

Tetsuya vaguely kicked his leg into Shin's shoulder.

Miho smiled, wider and brighter than before. Her eyes were completely closed with the force of it. Was she blushing? It was hard to tell sometimes because of her clan markings. _Damn it. _She took up the bag and eyed it thoughtfully, picking at the pink ribbon. Just where did the kid get pink ribbon anyway?

"The packaging is all you though, obviously. You've got an aesthetic." Kankurō scoffed. "Thank you. Please tell you brother I said 'thank you' as well."

They talked about _nothing _after that_. _Nothing. Nothing of any real consequence. Training. Her time at Center Mountain. His promotion. How Shin joined the Team Five a year ago, when she returned from training. What was good for snacks around the hospital. Hell, they talked about the _weather. _The damn weather. And Tetsuya was participating! Shin was laughing merrily, earning a particularly smug look from Kankurō.

Probably because he'd somehow won three out of four of Team Five over.

"Actually, come to think of it. Tetsuya did try to give you a nickname."

Genma sat up, cuing back into the conversation. His attention swung back around to Tetsuya, who grinned like the cat that ate the canary. So self-satisfied. That look was Utatane to the very core.

"Yeah? What'd you come up with?"

"'String Cheese' was one of them." Miho giggled before throwing her head back and laughing. It was so full body that the bed creaked with the force of it. Genma almost smiled but instead just twirled the senbon as he watched. Because he was a damn assassin and this kid was ticking him off.

The Painted Kid looked completely dumbfounded if somewhat endeared by Miho's laughter. No, no. The Kazekage's brother couldn't look _endeared_ under all that paint. No. "String…Cheese?"

Shin was doubled-over in the corner, slapping his own knee. At least the damn peanut gallery was amused. Genma knew where the nicknames came from though. And he knew what the other ones were.

"So, what, Tetsuya? You think I'm cheesy?"

"You bring or send Miho cookies every time you know she's in the hospital. Hell yeah, I think you're cheesy." Tetsuya shot back. "With a pink bow, no less."

Despite Genma hoping otherwise, the guy didn't look a bit bothered. He just nodded. Maybe wearing face paint daily had affected his senses? Maybe it required a certain amount of self-confidence to wear that get-up into battle? Is that where the swagger came from? Genma was _so ready _for the Kazekage's brother to leave. Then, his kids could just go back to bickering.

"I also threw in 'Knot a Chance' and 'No Strings Attached.'" There was a double-meaning in both. Genma knew the young man would catch them. Tetsuya's smirk was a bit challenging as he perched forward a bit more in the window. "Got any other suggestions?"

"'fraid knot." Kankurō shrugged. Genma choked on nothing, almost checking to see if he had swallowed his senbon. Miho's face lit up at the pun before she pealed into giggle and laughed into her hands. Genma watched as the Painted Kid turned to her and smiled at her laughter, eyes too soft for a shinobi from another village. No. Nope. "I don't think I wanna earn either of 'em, honestly. 'Knot a Chance' and 'No Strings Attached' don't sound like my style. I'll stick to String Cheese."

Kankurō took his leave nearly an hour later, winking as he shut the door with a promise that he'd see Team Five the next day at the Kazekage's address. The whole visit was surreal. By the end of it, Genma wondered if he'd wake up in some back alley in Suna blitzed out of his mind or wake up at Aoba's place again with _no _recollection of the night before.

Toward the end of the conversation, which Genma tuned out of to focus on _very serious matters_, Miho opened the green bag and pulled out a cookie. Genma thanked his lucky stars that the cookie was a standard, round, unremarkable little cookie. It wasn't some bear-shaped monstrosity. He didn't say anything until the Kazekage's brother was well-out of earshot. Miho smiled around the cookie.

"Miho— my bright student, one of the apples of my eye…" Genma trailed off as she turned to face him, still munching on the cookie she'd fished from the bag. "What exactly did I say about accepting cookies from foreign shinobi?"

Miho smiled.

Once upon a time, that smile had been so innocent.

What happened to his sweet, little students?

"Genma-sensei, you didn't even _try_ to stop him."

Genma's jaw dropped.

Just how the _hell _could he stop the _Kazekage_'_s brother _from giving her cookies the _Kazekage _himself baked?

Instead of responding, Genma just covered his face with his hands. He sent a rather rude— not quite as teacherly as he should have been— gesture toward Shin and Tetsuya, who were snickering in the corner.

Once they reached jōnin, Shiranui Genma decided then and there, he was going to retire.

* * *

It was early afternoon when she was released with the stern reminder that she was not to use her chakra for at least three more days. The hospital encouraged a fifteen-thousand calorie diet, but Miho had been trending closer to twenty-thousand over the past three months, so she stuck to that instead. There were no Akimichi dietitians on-staff at Suna Hospital, which meant that their caloric and body-mass feedback skewed lower than was healthy for an Akimichi.

Thankfully though, no one had suggested she lose weight.

She'd heard from other clan members that it was a common occurrence at hospitals outside of Konoha.

"HEY, FRIEND!"

Miho barely had time to react before arms were thrown around her shoulders.

"I sure am glad you got out of the hospital before the Kazekage's announcement! I kept telling Kegon and Yōrō to _just wait _so that I could make sure my new friend was safe and healthy! I wanted to walk there with you!" Miho let Fū shuffle her around in a circle, resting her full weight on her heels so that she could turn better. "We can walk and talk! We can talk and walk! Spend time together before we're separated!"

The spinning stopped and Fū stepped back, grabbing Miho's hands.

"How do you feel? Are you alright? Did you hear that they cancelled the third exam?"

Smiling, Miho nodded and reached down to pat her own stomach. "I'm good and, yeah, I heard the rumor. My teammates dropped by to tell me this morning."

Fū's shoulders sagged. "It's too bad! I was looking forward to making some more friends in the third round!"

Nodding along, Miho gestured to the left. "I was gonna go grab some food on the market street before the announcement in a couple hours. Do you want to come along?" Miho glanced around Fū, who looked about ready to cry, to her guards. "You're both invited, too. My team's wrapping up their sparring and I was going to meet them at the training grounds for the Kazekage's formal address."

The short-haired guard, Yōrō, sighed and then nodded. "There'll be no stopping her anyway and we haven't eaten yet." He looked to his partner. "Whaddya think, Kegon?"

Miho laughed when Fū threw an arm around her shoulders, ignoring whatever the long-haired shinobi had to say on the matter. Miho looked back to see a long-suffering look on his face as they followed behind. It was an expression she often saw on Gluten-Free's face.

"Look! Look! There's so, so much food here! I heard that Akimichi can eat up to thirty or forty thousand calories a day! That's so awesome!" Fū released Miho's shoulders to run to a vendor selling what looked to be several different kinds of meat skewers. There were at least fifteen different meats and flavor combinations. Miho felt herself salivating at the sight of it. "What're you going to get, Miho?"

With a grin, Miho looked her friend square in the eye. "One of everything, of course!"

Fū cheered.

Suna's street vendor district was so different from Konoha's.

Vaguely, Miho wondered if that might have something to do with her family's influence on food culture in the village. Most of the restaurants were Akimichi-run or Akimichi-affiliated or with Akimichi-sourced products. Some of that was due to the intense vetting processes vendors had to undergo before they could sell their wares. Being Akimichi-affiliated allowed vendors to be protected under the enterprise of the Akimichi.

Even with the sanctions, there'd been no change to the village's eateries or sourcing. Just higher taxing on Akimichi imports, paid by her own clan, which affected the clan.

It made her family take on more missions.

It wasn't like Konoha could allow the citizens to be any the wiser about how close the Akimichi came to blackmailing the village. All of the punishments had to be inward-facing rather than outward-facing.

Suna didn't have a food-oriented clan as far as Miho was aware and much of their vegetables and fruits had to be outsourced. That meant that street vendors must've brought found their own thoroughfares for supplies, which then in-turn, gave Suna a thriving street vendor economy.

Miho would bet a B-rank mission salary that Suna charged the vendors for shipment protection, which acted as a tax for the street food scene.

Such an arrangement would make sense given the difference in variety between Suna and Konoha.

Sometimes, Miho wondered if her family stagnated the Konoha culinary culture.

That was certainly not something she would ever mention to anyone.

"Oh! We have something like this in Taki!" Fū gestured to the vendor of what looked to be mochi-like sweets. The vendor gathered together a set of six of the pink-pillows. "We call them 'sugar snails.'" She held one out to Miho and beamed. In rapid succession, she downed the rest of the treats.

Miho smiled, taking the offering. "Now, I think you should visit Konoha. We have something like this too! We call them 'sweet leaves.' Very on-brand, huh? It's the greatest when it's spring and it's just starting to get warmer outside."

Fū nodded enthusiastically.

After a while, the two guards had settled themselves at an outdoor table near a vendor who was selling tea. Miho knew they were watching, but, to her surprise, they were giving just enough space to let Fū feel like she was independent. The gesture was definitely not lost on Fū, who began to settle down about two-thirds of the way through the street.

Miho found a table, still in the sight of the guards, and sat down. She feigned a bit of exhaustion, fanning her face like the desert heat had gotten to her. Fū bounded off to get some bottled water, settling down at the other chair as she handed one of the bottles over.

"You know… The leader of my village, Shibuki, he encouraged me to make friends here. And I thought I would. I like making friends. I just…I didn't expect to make as many friends as I did." She took a sip of the water. The almost perpetual smile on her face was more muted now, as if the mask she wore was slipping a bit. Miho watched, knowing what it looked like. Naruto did that often, too, in the past. "What you did for the Kazekage? It was really brave."

Miho started to shake her head. It wasn't about bravery.

Fū's expression became harder, more determined. Quicker than Miho had ever seen her move, Fū's hand was on her right forearm. "The Kazekage mentioned a friend that made a big difference in his life. I want to have that same kind of friend. And I want to be that kind of friend for others. Do you know what I mean, Miho?"

Miho nodded. "I understand."

She understood more than most.

"Well, I think you're gonna be that friend for me! Let's stay in touch! Some day, I want to visit Konoha! And you can visit Taki! We can eat_ all the things_!"

That brought Miho up short. It hadn't been what she'd expected— that Fū needed to keep looking to find that kind of friend, that she knew she would eventually. Despite the hesitance, and very real fear, that Miho felt surge through her gut, the Akimichi still nodded and settled a hand on top of the one gripping her forearm.

"Sure!"

Miho felt bile rising up in her throat.

If nothing changed, Fū was going to die in just a few days.

Her friend was going to die.

"Miho! Fū!"

Pulling in a deep breath, Miho tried to steady herself as Lee ran over, bounding through the crowd. As soon as Fū saw him, her face brightened again and the mask went on once more. She threw herself out of her chair and— to Miho's utter amazement— threw herself into Lee's arms. Lee spun her around, earning disgruntled shouts from the street vendor crowds.

"GOOD AFTERNOON, MY FRIEND OF SUNSHINE AND MIRTH!"

"HEY THERE, MY FRIEND OF YOUTH AND GREEN SPANDEX!"

"Seriously. They're something else."

TenTen meandered up, hands propping on her hips. Sakura walked up a moment later, eyes wide as she took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the market. When her eyes found Miho, she hurried forward.

"I heard you were released today. How are you feeling?"

"Just fine." Miho waved her off, still focused on the theatrical production that Lee and Fū were putting on for the locals. "Anyone want to bet me a month's supply of takoyaki that they get together at some point?"

TenTen let out an unholy screech. "Say what?"

Sakura scoffed. "You forget who my master is and that's a _fool's bet_." Her hand waved the bet off as if it were nothing.

Miho grinned, appreciating the fact that Sakura didn't shut it down. Lee was a good catch— sweet, loyal, caring, heartfelt in everything he did. Fū let out a loud laugh when he began waxing poetic about the virtues of international friendships.

"We didn't get the scrolls we needed. Lee was going to fight the guy at the table."

"Way to go on holding him back. It's been bothering him that Neji made jōnin on that mission, so I'm sure he got riled." Miho knee that Rock was happy for his teammate, but... There were moments when he was envious. Neji was just _so good. _

TenTen just sighed, palming her forehead.

It was an hour later that saw Miho standing with her teammates and the others from Konoha on the marching grounds, which spread out below the tower where the exam was centralized on the outskirts of Suna. The marching grounds, or formation grounds, where a large flat space for troops to line up before deployment and for formations. The hundred or so exam participants were gathered, preparing to hear the formalized announcement of the third exam's cancellation. The rumor was spreading fast, as rumors always did.

Fū stood with Lee nearby as they continued to talk and laugh together. Every so often, both of them would stop, notice her attention, and send her a thumbs-up. She returned it, trying not to laugh at the two of them. Miho shared a look with Fū's guards who looked stuck between breaking up the budding romance and helping Lee to figure out that there was some significant flirting happening.

Which, Lee didn't seem to notice.

"Who knew Lee would be the one to land himself a girlfriend on this trip?" Kiba was barely restrained from catcalling by a swift punch from Sakura. "Ow! What the shit!"

"Knock it off and leave them alone." Sakura crossed her arms and turned her back on him, obviously sure Kiba would follow directions. "It's disappointing enough that they're cancelling the rest of the exams. We don't need you ruining a good show!"

"S-Sakura….Maybe don't call it a show?" Hinata spoke up from beside Shino. "Miss Fū seems really… like she really likes Lee."

There was a round of laughter so loud that each member of the group turned to see Lee flailing his arms while Fū held her stomach and doubled-over.

"Oh brother." Tetsuya drawled, flipping his ponytail over his shoulder. Miho watched his eyes roll. "Someone tell Lee that he's being flirted with, _please_. For the sake of all our sanity. He has no idea."

"Not you, Kiba." Sakura commanded, voice harsh as she jerked the Inuzuka back to the group by his collar.

"Look, we put all this effort in for nothing! At least let me get some entertainment out of it!" Kiba gestured vaguely in the direction of Lee and Fū's voices. "It's all been a waste otherwise!"

Miho rolled her eyes skyward, looking at how blue the sky was below the low-hanging white clouds. Holding the cancellation announcement in the early evening meant that everyone was able to get refreshed and enjoy the more pleasant temperatures without shade. Suna's weather was actually beautiful at this time of day.

"We continued to the very end and didn't give up, so we should be okay. Those who dropped out midway are the ones who should be worried." Shino's voice was even and steady, seeming not at all bothered by the cancellation.

Hinata frowned. "I almost feel sorry for them."

"At least we've gained some self-confidence. Look at what we accomplished." Sakura tried to put a positive spin on it.

When Miho lowered her eyes from staring at the sky, she smiled at Sakura and Hinata. "You accomplished _a lot_ from where I'm standing." After all, it had been Sakura who kept her stable and Hinata who used her clan's techniques to release the hold of the chakra chains on her tenketsu.

The sound of blocks cracking together drew the eyes of the participants to the raised balcony overlooking the marching grounds. Miho watched as Gaara stepped up to the edge.

Images flashed in her mind. Gaara, standing on the precipice before a much larger formation field, as he called for shinobi to set aside their differences and help him protect a friend. Protect Naruto. It was one of the clearest Images in her mind. It always had been ever since she was little. Then, an explosion and the mountain he stood on disappeared. Miho flinched, playing off the reaction as a chill.

_We won't let it come to that_, Ino's voice spoke in her head. Miho looked down from the Kazekage and over to where Team Ten stood under the dais. Miho noticed that Ino was looking right back at her. _It won't come to that. He'll never have to give that speech._

There was no way Ino could guarantee that though, and that's what sent another stronger chill down Miho's back.

"Exam participants, I praise your efforts. With the passage of time, our shinobi world needs a new system with new laws. Until today, we shinobi were required to sacrifice even the lives of our comrades for the sake of our laws and rules."

His voice was so sincere when he spoke. It carried such weight that Miho could see how the armies of the original story followed him into battle. He was born to be such a leader. He earned every moment of it, every heartbreaking moment. She looked around to see that others held their heads tall as he spoke.

The Suna participants looked the proudest of all, chins raised high.

"But I have realized that we have something even more precious than rules and regulations. That is friendship with our fellow villagers and our fellow shinobi and the bond we share with others who understand the same pain…" Naruto was that person for him, Miho knew. She watched as the Kazekage scanned the crowd. "I believe that each of you who stands here now knows exactly what I mean."

Miho felt a thrill of shock strike her like lightning when Gaara's eyes met hers. For a moment, she didn't quite know what to do. The difference between his stare years ago and the calm, kind eyes that looked down at her at that moment was…surreal.

A long time ago, she thought of Gaara as a natural disaster. Then, he had been. And she'd been unable to look away just like the storms _She _used to chase.

But storms always passed.

Miho realized now though that Gaara wasn't the disaster any more…He was the first break of dawn after a disaster— when the wreckage begins to clear, the hurt begins to heal, and the hope and strength of the people affected comes to light. Gaara had been a disaster and became something else entirely.

That's who Gaara really was.

A small smile came to her lips and she gave him a single nod.

"Therefore, I deem the Third Exam unnecessary…Furthermore, I am rescinding part of the requirements for the Second Exam."

"What does that mean?" Someone nearby asked.

Tetsuya shifted, crossing his arms. "Seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?"

"For each of you standing here right now, a detailed report of your performance will be sent to your respective villages. Your Kage will make the final decision on your promotion."

"That means we have to wait longer?" Kiba complained, earning a stern look from Sakura, who pinned him down with a stare so emphatic that he immediately raised his hands in difference. Miho was reminded of a dog turning on its stomach, showing submission. Sakura demanded that out of Kiba and it was quite something to see how quickly he gave in to her looks.

"But that also means we still have a chance, correct?" Lee asked happily, raising a fist. Miho turned to see a determined glint in his eyes.

Fū cheered, drawing Kegon into a headlock. "That means Shibuki might give me a promotion!"

Miho saw Kegon mutter something about their promotion as well, but thought it was a poor attempt to keep up the charade. Both men were definitely jōnin. They carried themselves the same way most jōnin did, with certain eccentric attention to surroundings. It was obvious that it was almost funny to think of how they tried to pass themselves off as genin.

The Kazekage raised a hand to regain the attention of the crowd.

"You are welcome to remain in Sunagakure for the evening before departing tomorrow morning. Otherwise, we wish you well in your travels as you return to your communities. I now declare the conclusion of the Chūnin Exams." The Kazekage gave the assembled crowd a final once-over before disappearing from the balcony.

The crowd erupted into conversation.

Miho was struck with an idea. She was pretty sure it was because of her upbringing. With a grin, she turned to the assembled group. Her hand reached out to grab Fū's arm, pulling her off of her 'teammate.' Fū laughed happily, joining the Konoha group. "Guys! Let's celebrate the end of the exams! We should grab as much take out as we can and find a place to hang out. Does Suna have a park or something? We can have an evening picnic! A party!"

Miho tried to ignore that part of her motivation for this was to give Fū something to hold onto if the worst should happen. Something she could remember as a beautiful, important memory.

"A picnic party? In another village? Are you serious, Chubs?" Kiba questioned, scratching at his ear. Ankamaru barked. Miho's eyes narrowed at him, previous excitement momentarily disappearing. Kiba noticed, raising his brows at the stare. "What?"

"Call me that again, Kiba, and I'll _end_ you. There will be _pain_. Lots and lots of pain. I don't want _that_ name out of _your_ mouth _ever again._" Miho smiled sweetly, knowing that her cheeks made the smile seem even sweeter. She refocused, looking over her friends' shoulders. Tetsuya and Shin were cackling, holding onto each other as Kiba's mouth opened and closed. She refocused, sure that Kiba would never try that one again. "What's the name of that Suna shinobi? Hey, Rock, you were talking to him earlier?"

Miho looked to Rock for confirmation. A pleased smile broke on his face as he jumped into action.

"OH! You mean my friend Shira, whose prowess in battle is indeed something to behold! I shall find him! After all, I have a gift for him!" He jumped up, spinning around to find the ninja in the crowd. When he did, Miho nearly started laughing as he took off running. "SHIRA!"

"What's all this ruckus? Shouldn't you all be packing up? Don't be troublesome by loitering about." Shikamaru had his pinky in his ear, as he normally did when he was being dramatic or purposefully obtuse.

Miho grinned, knowing that her plans would move forward now that there were multiple points for traction in Suna itself. Shikamaru had connections with Temari.

"You're seriously gonna come at _us_ for 'loitering'?"

"We're having a picnic to celebrate the end of the exams. Ask Temari where we can do that." Sakura's voice brooked no argument.

"Please." Hinata inserted politely.

"Yeah, please." TenTen agreed.

Shikamaru scoffed, shaking his head as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Why do I gotta ask? Get Miho to ask Kankurō. They're buddies." Buddies. Miho nearly choked on the chips she was eating.

"My brother in hand-to-hand combat and his glorious team has agreed to join us!" Rock Lee jumped into the circle of Konoha shinobi, giving a thumbs-up and a wink. "His teammate, the lovely Sen, has agreed to help us procure the most delicious local fare!" Miho followed the path Rock had taken over and found three Suna shinobi approaching.

They smiled as they joined the little gathering.

"Our party is getting bigger and bigger!" Fū celebrated, pumping her fist. The joy in her voice was brilliant. It reminded Miho of the excitement in Naruto's voice when he talked about getting ramen at Ramen Ichiraku. "I wonder how many friends we can collect before we start partying!"

"As many as we can." Miho grinned at her enthusiasm, knowing with the big smile on her friend's face that she'd made the right decision. Spinning, Miho pushed a fist into her open palm. Tetsuya and Shin were amused, smiling from where they stood on the other side of the group. "We'll all go find as much take-out as we can find and meet—"

"At the Barrel Garden."

The collected group turned to the new voice. Temari smiled as she approached, shrugging her shoulders at the surprised expressions she encountered. Miho's attention flickered over to where Kankurō came to stand at his sister's shoulder. He met her eyes and just raised his brows, not betraying the amusement she saw hiding under his war paint. To everyone else, he likely looked aloof or even offended.

"The Barrel Garden's in the northeastern district, about two blocks from the central building. There's a bunch of picnic tables there. Sen? Do you think you can guide everyone?"

"Yes, Lady Temari."

"Good." Temari nodded. She surveyed the group. "Okay, so whose fault is it we're having an impromptu party?"

Miho didn't hesitate to raise her hand as several of the assembled ninja pointed at her.

"Right. Akimichi. Okay. Let's see what we can do about food."

* * *

**A/N:**

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! They have made my week brighter. Thank you as well for the favorites and follows as well!

This was such a fun chapter to write! I went through several drafts of it and had to cut it down significantly because I wrote WAY TO MUCH. It still ended up being one of the longest chapters of the story. I wanted to have a fun chapter.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Stay safe and healthy. Please leave me your thoughts!


	32. Part II: Point of No Return

As the evening wound down and teams slowly left to return to their accommodations, only a few remained behind among the barrel cacti around the picnic tables in the dimly-lit garden. Ino and Temari were talking nearby, joined by Tenten, Sakura, and Fū. They were discussing locally-made weapons. Shikamaru was sitting with Chōji, saying goodbye to the two jōnin from Taki, who had been trying to leave for over an hour. Tetsuya and Shin were gossiping at another picnic table, likely creating all manners of couples out of the attendees judging by how red Lee's ears were. Miho sat with Kankurō, munching on the last remaining Suna sugar snaps.

"I'm surprised the Kazekage came. I'm glad he did, but I'm still surprised."

"Gaara…wanted to be a part of it, I think. Just for a while."

Miho nodded, understanding. It had to be lonely. He couldn't really be with people his age now because he was now their leader. He dealt with more than any of them. It was already hard to relate before he became Kazekage. Miho wondered, when he knew of what was to come, how he would deal with that knowledge. She knew that day would come eventually.

"Heavy lies the head that wears the crown…"

Kankurō turned to look at her. The turn of phrase was unfamiliar to him, she knew.

"I hope he had a good time regardless."

Kankurō sighed. "I'm sure he did. Probably would've stayed longer, but there was some Kage stuff to take care of. Just being invited was a…big deal for him." Kankurō's voice was a bit wistful and tired. An older brother looking out for his younger brother, who had been ostracized his whole life. "Thank you for inviting him."

She looked over to where Fū was laughing, obviously still having a blast. It was so easy to see that this was like a dream come true for her. So many new friends gathered in one place. She wondered, if Gaara had been passed over for Kage, would he have been able to enjoy something like this even then? Miho doubted it, with the weight he carried because of his past.

"I'm glad he could experience this for just a few minutes."

That was all he had been there for, a few minutes. He interacted with only a few and not even with Miho. She never got to speak to him, sharing only a friendly nod at a distance. Still, there was something in his eyes that spoke of his wonder at the gathering.

That alone made Miho proud of the little party in the desert.

"Nara gave me some advice earlier. Said there's a collection of folks that would definitely beat my ass if I hurt you… _when _or _if._"

Surprised, Miho turned to face him fully. His dark eyes were amused, and the tilt of his lips might've infuriated anyone else. She wasn't new to being teased about Kankurō or by Kankurō and she wasn't blind either. Miho was self-aware enough not to refute or deny. She didn't even flinch, rolling her shoulders back. Him telling her this much said a lot about him as a person and a friend. He was honest, straight-forward. As much as one could be as a ninja.

Shikamaru warning off Kankurō seemed…odd though. "_Shikamaru_ said that?"

Kankurō nodded, grinning.

Huh.

"Like_ I_ wouldn't kick your ass if you were to somehow hurt me?"

He laughed, and began to reaching over to ruffle a hand over her curls. He paused and rethought his gesture. Instead, he reached for one of the curls at the side of her face and pulled it down. When he released it, the curl sprung back into place. Though it probably might've been interpreted by others as an intimate gesture, Miho just felt it was familiar. Tetsuya, Koji, Naruto, Chōji, and Ino had both done that before. Though…not with that expression.

Despite the aloof upbringing his father placed upon him, Kankurō was a very tactile person.

He had to be, after all. To Kankurō, nearly everything was tactile.

Miho glanced over to where her brother and Shikamaru stood. They were watching. Shikamaru looked like he was bored out of his mind, which was belied by the sharpness of his eyes, and her brother looked flustered, even if he was trying so desperately to hide it. When Miho glanced over to where Tetsuya and Shin sat, they were both _obviously _watching the exchange. She wouldn't be surprised if they were providing some kind of ridiculous voice-over. Lee gave her a thumbs-up.

"They're a pretty dramatic bunch, huh?"

"You've got _no room_ to be callin' anyone 'dramatic.'" Miho shot back, watching as he reached up to clutch his heart as if hurt. "Case in point."

Kankurō just continued to look hurt. His mutter was pitiful. "I thought for sure it'd be your teacher to warn me off first, since he has a conniption practically every time he sees me. You don't even have to be around anymore." His tone shifted to one of excitement, all vestiges of hurt lost. "I think he's thought of killing me before." She wondered if she should point out that he shouldn't be _excited _about that. "I put in so. much. effort. He is _so _fed up with me."

The absolute _joy _in Kankurō's tone was telling.

This was the prankster she'd been hearing about in their letters.

"I'm not sure if you like me or annoying my teacher more."

"Eh, both?" Kankurō shrugged.

Miho laughed outright, throwing her head back. He had a point. Genma-sensei was painfully transparent where Kankurō was concerned. "Don't think I don't realize that you overstayed your welcome on purpose the other day just to mess with him. What was it? A three-hour visit? Tetsuya and Shin were entertained and saw through you after about twenty minutes. That's why they kept egging you on." Kankurō looked positively smug. "How late were you anyway?"

"Late enough to warrant extra guard duty for a week." Kankurō responded evenly with a wave of his hand. So…very late. "Worth it."

"Miho!" She turned to wave at Fū, who was standing up at the urging of her guards. More like the manhandling of her guards. Miho moved to stand, but her hand was caught.

Miho felt her heart stutter when his fingers wrapped fully around her wrist. It was a near intrusive thought when she wondered if his arms were broad enough to fully engulf her. Pausing, Miho looked down at him, meeting his eyes.

She'd seen those eyes in dreams and Images and fake memories for years now. She'd seen them wide and lifeless; and wide and full of life.

Now, she saw them warm and moonlit.

The purple paint cast shadows and she, for the first time, wondered if he would ever let her see him without the paint. It was his eyes though...

In that moment, Kankurō— maybe, just a little bit— took her breath away.

And maybe— just _maybe_ and definitely not now— Shikamaru had a reason to warn him away. Maybe— just _maybe_, once the future played out— Genma-sensei would have a reason to be so bothered. Not now though. Definitely not now.

Who knew what the future would hold?

Settling a hand on his shoulder, Miho smiled. The warmth of him through the black fabric of his shirt seemed to melt up her arm like warm butter and brown sugar. He looked a bit distracted and she would've given anything in that moment to hear his thoughts. Or to know him as well as she knew so many others.

His mouth started to open— to argue or bait, because he did that quite a bit. A habit. Then, Miho wasn't surprised when his purple-painted lips closed again. He obviously pushed his tongue into his cheek before he nodded. He nodded in understanding. Miho grinned, appreciating how easily he accepted _whatever it was_. He grinned in return and released her wrist.

She started to walk away.

"Hey, trouble?"

Miho stopped. "Yeah, String Cheese?"

"Stop _getting _into_ trouble_, okay?"

Snorting, Miho waved him off as she walked away. "Please. It follows me." Miho turned to walk backward. "You're only worried because you're in this for the baked goods."

"I'm only _mostly _in it for the baked goods." He called back.

Fū rolled onto the balls of her feet, grinning widely as Miho approached. Her brows rose. "That Kabuki-Faced Guy is making eyes at you!" There was nothing subtle where Fū was concerned and Miho looked back to see Kankurō shrug off the attention as he made his way over to Temari. At least he didn't look embarrassed. "We're heading out! We leave early in the morning."

Miho found herself wrapped in a hug and, out of habit, Miho hugged back and leaned back. Fū laughed happily. "Safe travels. Be care—" Miho tried desperately to ignore the rush of fear that lit through her stomach. This could be…This could be the last time— She choked down the tears that threatened to work up into her eyes. "Be careful, okay? I— I want to come visit you in Taki one day. You— You can come visit me in Konoha. Always. Any time. Just…please be careful."

Fū waved her off with a bright smile. If she noticed Miho's emotions, then she didn't acknowledge them. "I will. I will. It's nice to have someone so worried."

Watching her go, Miho felt a stab of anxiety so strong that her knees began to buckle. Her right knee went first, as it always did now. An arm came around underneath her shoulders and she looked to find her brother standing there with her, watching as Fū disappeared around the corner and into the cool Suna night. He didn't say anything, just stood there.

_It will be okay, Miho. She'll be okay. _Ino's voice was reassuring.

Miho grasped onto the hem of Chōji's shirt, tightening her grip until her knuckles were white.

_We don't know that. This is where it begins._

It was Shikamaru's voice that answered. _No, it began years ago. It's just another step in a series of steps._

* * *

The Hokage's office was busier than normal with all of the genin who had taken the exam piled before the Lady Tsunade's desk. Miho had scarfed down the rest of her post-training scrambled eggs that morning. Tetsuya and Shin would have finished their kenjutsu practice and she was _running so late. _She hurried in just a couple minutes before the meeting was set to begin, looking about for Genma-sensei only to find that none of the teachers were present.

"Well, that definitely didn't go as planned."

Miho withheld a snort, but a few others didn't. They didn't realize though just how little had gone to plan. Akatsuki didn't take the bait and the attack on the Kazekage had been fueled by domestic issues in Suna. Which meant that they were back at square-one. Again. With no international capital to speak of from the final exam round.

"I've read the Kazekage's report on each of you from your second exam. Your performances did reflect well upon Konoha, regardless of the poor outcome of the exam overall."

Miho's attention flickered over to where Shikamaru stood at the Hokage's left side. He seemed to notice the attention, meeting her attention steadily. Without Ino present, she couldn't hear his thoughts, but the slightest uptick in his lips gave her an inkling as to what was coming. Still though, there was something in his eyes…Something was off.

"Hinata, Shino, Kiba…Tetsuya, Shin, Miho…You six passed with flying colors and are promoted to chūnin." The Hokage was obviously pleased, despite how carefully she was guarding her expression.

Miho watched as everyone else celebrated with pumping fists and bright smiles. She grinned too, already planning for a celebratory meal. She had the rest of the day off. She could bake up a storm (pun definitely intended) and then meet everyone at the gathering haunt. A Konoha version of the Suna picnic. Her eyes tracked to Sakura, Tenten, and Lee. She waited, hoping that the Hokage would—

"Finally, although they did not collect two scrolls, they performed admirably and are more than qualified for promotion. Lee, Tenten, Sakura…You are promoted to chūnin."

Lee let out a victorious yell. "YOSH! This is the power of youth! Now, we will reform our team with our glorious teammate, Neji!" He sobered a bit under the Hokage's stare. "I mean, thank you! Thank you, Lady Hokage!"

Really, she knew he missed Gluten-Free. Being closer in rank now, they'd be able to run more missions together. Smiling, Miho turned to Shin and Tetsuya, who mirrored her movement. Tetsuya met her eyes first, dark eyes bright and full of excitement.

"We did it."

Her eyes tracked to Shin, whose smile was a bit more serene and calm. He was beyond chūnin rank in his skills, she knew. Still, going through the actual process seemed…fulfilling to him. Like he could have a bit of normalcy. "I'm grateful I was able to join this team."

"We're still a team past this, Shin. Remember that. No matter what missions we're assigned separately. No matter what assignments we get." Miho reached forward and settled a hand on his shoulder. He nodded. "You're an eternal member of the Book Club now. Even if we're chūnin, or jōnin, we're going to be together for a long, long time."

"I FINALLY BEAT NARUTO!" Kiba's declaration seemed to reverberate around the room, drawing her attention away from Shin's bright smile. Miho turned to the Inuzuka, not even realizing that the smile had fallen from her face. A swell of irritation hit her so hard that it seemed to overtake the elation of being promoted. She remembered, from a half-forgotten memory, Kiba declaring that _he _would be Hokage.

No. Miho shook her head.

"If Naruto were here, he'd be promoted right along with us. I believe it." Miho said, just loud enough to have Kiba's attention turn to her. His mouth opened to argue, but he was cut off by Shikamaru's voice.

"He's going to be so mad that he missed the exams."

"Alright! Alright! All of you out. Except you, Akimichi. The rest of you, take the rest of the day to celebrate. You're back on mission rotation tomorrow."

Shikamaru had remained behind of course. He stood at the Hokage's shoulder as she sat down, eyeing Miho before she turned to a collection of papers on the desk. Something was definitely wrong. Shikamaru seemed almost anxious. His eyes were sharper than usual. A strange spark in them that made her feel a nervous cut along her spine.

"So… You threw yourself in front of some chakra chains to protect the Kazekage, huh?"

Resolutely, Miho didn't cringe at the Hokage's tone. Instead, she just nodded and straightened her posture. If she was going to be reprimanded as soon as she got promoted, then so be it. She didn't regret her actions. She knew this lecture was coming as soon as the chains struck her system, if she survived the whole ordeal. She consciously didn't look to Shikamaru.

"You realize that you have a particularly _screwed up _chakra system, right? No matter how much time you've spent getting things under 'control' over the past couple years, you could have _completely _ruined all of that effort. We do not even know the ramifications of what could have happened. The _tenpenchii _could very well eat you alive." Miho nodded, acknowledging the Hokage's words. "This could have killed you."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"You did this with full knowledge of the potential consequences?"

Miho met Tsunade's eyes. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

The Hokage held her stare before sighing and rubbing her face with her hands. She looked at Miho critically from behind her fingers. "Well, the Kazekage was complimentary and appreciative. He made a special note in his report that you and your team were integral to the safe resolution of a domestic assassination attempt." Miho bowed her head in formal acceptance of the praise. "You need to work on finding other ways to protect people. Like using your _damn weapon._ You know you trained with Akimcihi Torifu, correct? If you keep this up, you'll be seeing your old Master sooner rather than later."

Shifting, Miho tried not to let the swell of anxiety eat at her at those words. She swallowed and nodded. If Master Torifu were alive, he would have her running drills and spars until she had to eat 10,000 extra calories just to make up for the cardio. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Right. 'Yes, Lady Hokage.' We've got more to talk about."

The Hokage's hand moved over the desk and Miho felt the privacy seal flare to life as she office was secured. She'd thought that others 'in the know' would be there for any kind of discussion like this, but Miho wondered if maybe they were somehow otherwise occupied. She knew at least one team was deployed, trying to track down Akatsuki's hideout in Amegakure. Had more been sent out?

"I don't owe you this explanation, girly, but it seems you made more friends while in Suna." Miho's brows pulled together. "We have a team shadowing Fū as she returns to Taki. They left last night. Her village leader rerouted them on a B-rank before they could return to their village. We're not taking the chance."

The Hokage shifted and Miho looked to Shikamaru, who moved around to the front of the desk.

"An ANBU team went out to track her and protect her, if necessary."

Miho's stomach festered. Her wide eyes turned to Shikamaru. Asuma-sensei? Genma-sensei? Shikamaru wouldn't meet her eyes. That had to be what— "What if—" Shikamaru shook his head, eyes narrowed. _Don't. _Nervous energy crawled up her throat, settling at the back of it. Her fingers tingled. "They—"

"Trust them to handle it, Akimichi. This team is highly specialized. It's the beginning of our direct fight with Akatsuki." The Hokage responded. Her tone was even, not to be challenged. "The plans start in earnest now. And, now that you're chūnin, you're an active part of them. While normally, chūnin can apply for positions and submit their requests for specific appointments, it is my right as Hokage to make assignments."

Miho pulled in a breath, peeling her stare away from Shikamaru. She met the Hokage's gaze. She fell into a more formal at-ease stance. It'd been drilled into her by Master Torifu, who taught her all of the formalities of mannerisms as well as the smallest changes she had to make as an Akimichi. How her feet would always settler father apart than her peers, how her shoulders would appear rounded unless she made the distinct effort to roll them back.

"_How you hold yourself tells others much about you. If you continue to lean to heavily on your left leg, what does that tell your enemy?"_

"_That my right leg is weak."_

"_And if you do not raise your chin and straighten your neck, what does this tell your allies?"_

"_That I am not confident."_

_Master Torifu used his bō to press at her shoulder, adjusting her stance a bit. Then, he pushed the staff into her shoulder wish such force that she stumbled toward the edge of the cliff-side training ground. And the abyss below. Miho recovered, looking out off the edge of Center Mountain. "And if you are unsteady?"_

"_That I'm unsteady."_

Miho made sure to center her weight, becoming conscious of the way her weight shifted. If the Hokage noticed this, she said nothing of it.

"You said, a while ago, that you wanted to guard Uzumaki Naruto in the future. You said that you wanted to protect people. I remember another kid that used to say something similar. Stood in front of the Third's desk and declared it, actually." Miho nodded, feeling a swell of panic so powerful that she clenched her teeth and shifted her weight. She hid her shaking hands behind her back, clasping onto the back hem of her vest. "You are aware that your teacher, Shiranui Genma, is a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon?"

Miho nodded. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

"This has been a long time coming. You have demonstrated your prowess and dedication to the protection of others. Likewise, your teammate— Tetsuya— has demonstrated this strength as well. Shin has indicated his preference to act in the protection of others." The Hokage smiled a bit. "You— and the other members of Team Five— will be trained to become a part of, and eventually become, the Hokage Guard Platoon."

Her breath seemed to be knocked from her lungs.

The Hokage Guard Platoon?

Miho stilled.

"My…My father was…"

"The current Guard Platoon consists of Shiranui Genma, along with Namiashi Raidō and Tatami Iwashi." Miho knew that. She knew both Namiashi and Tatami as they were good friends with her teacher. They were a part of her teacher's rotating ANBU cell. She probably shouldn't have known that. "They once guarded the Fourth Hokage, as you know. Now, when they are needed, they guard me. The man who selected these specific members for the Fourth Hokage's guard was your father, Okuda Keisuke."

Lady Tsunade leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. There was a light of challenge in her eyes.

"To be an elite bodyguard requires skills in cooperation. Appointment to the platoon is in addition to normal missions. You will be training to reach tokubetsu jōnin or jōnin rank, as will your teammates. Each of you has been hand-selected. Eventually, this may lead to your recruitment to ANBU, though this is not a requirement for the future."

A chill ran down Miho's spine.

"Genma-sensei—"

"Along with Namiashi and Tatami will be teaching you and your team. They will be training you to take over their positions. This will be over the next year. These three will be needed elsewhere in the future." In the future? Miho met the Hokage's eyes. During the war? "You will receive a field promotion at my discretion or their discretion. You will not take the jōnin exams."

Miho opened her mouth and then shut it again, at a loss for words.

She'd been training to be a frontliner. She had always trained to be a frontliner so that she could fight alongside Naruto when the time came. Though, in the end, she knew she would never be powerful enough to stand beside him. How could she be powerful enough to fight at his side? At least she could watch his back though. If she was on the guard…

After a moment, the Hokage let out a laugh and leaned back. "You never thought of it, did you? If or when your future comes to pass, what Hokage do you think you will eventually guard? Why in the world would a guard platoon be _useful?_" Lady Tsunade smiled, a true, warm smile.

Naruto.

She'd guard Naruto.

"You're genetically predisposed for it. Seems like Keisuke and Minato's legacy carries forward. We might as well make use of your stupidly selfless protective instincts." The Hokage waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "You'll receive your official assignment when Genma returns." That was as good as confirming that her teacher was a member of the deployed ANBU cell. "Until then, you're going to work with Shikamaru, Ino, and her father to see if we can get a better gauge on what's coming next."

Miho felt herself fall into a bow, still trying to work through it in her mind. "Can I notify my teammates?"

"I'd be shocked if you didn't, Akimichi."

Nodding, Miho stood upright.

"Kid." Miho lifted her eyes and met the Hokage's stare. "You default to a block _without_ at least _trying_ to use your weapon again…I'll hang you from the Second's nose by your toes. You should probably go make an offering for Elder Torifu to appease his spirit."

Feeling a smile break on her face despite her nerves, Miho bit back a laugh and bowed again. "As you say, Lady Hokage."

"Damn right 'as I say.' Go. Take the Nara with you. He's been annoying me about this and other shit all day. Take the rest of the day off, Nara. Don't argue. Go. And Miho?" She paused at the doorway, Shikamaru at her shoulder. "You did good protecting the Kazekage. Now, get out."

Miho didn't stop to look back at him until they reached the road outside of the building. When she did turn, he was looking up at the sky with his shoulders hunched and his hands tucked into his pockets. He'd stopped with her, but seemed to be avoiding eye contact. Guilty then? He felt guilty. Or maybe it was something else. Whatever was making his focus so intense. Miho just waited.

"What a drag."

Swallowing down her first response, Miho instead tightened her grip on the new chūnin vest. She'd received it at the chūnin mission desk on her way out. They always had Akimichi sizes in stock. It was never a good look for the village when Akimichi sizes were out-of-stock. "You could have mentioned it, Shikamaru."

"I didn't know she'd decided until today. There was no time to tell you. It'd be a waste if I told you and she didn't do it." Shikamaru lowered his stare from the sky, attention flickering down to her grip on the vest. "You gonna wear two vests?"

Miho rolled her eyes at the pathetic subject-change attempt. Instead, she turned on her heel and started toward the Akimichi Compound. "Uncle Shikaku looks like a badass with his deerskin vest. I'll just wear my vest over my vest." She knew he was walking behind her, and she looked over to find a long-suffering look on his face. "What?"

Shikamaru said nothing. He just jerked his head to the left and Miho followed him down a path into a deserted training ground.

It was still mid-morning and the dew from the night before was just now beginning to evaporate from the leaves. Birds were tweeting and singing and the sky was so blue. It was the perfect day for Shikamaru to cloud-watch. Miho wondered if that was where he was headed, to a cloud-watching location. Instead, he stopped at the edge of the forest, hands fisting at his sides.

"I didn't know they would send him."

Miho bit down a gasp when Shikamaru's hand shot out to strike the tree he stood beside. She watched his back, which was tensed as he gripped both hands into fists. His head lowered and he seemed to lose that energy as quickly as it came. Shikamaru canted over to lean against the tree.

Stepping forward, Miho moved around him until she stood facing him. She sat the chūnin vest down and tried to get a good look at his face. It was crumpled and his eyes were squeezed shut. "Asuma-sensei?"

Shikamaru sighed. "That's… I didn't know what the mission was until this morning. They left only a couple hours after we arrived back last night."

Miho let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Genma-sensei was on the same mission. That meant Genma-sensei's whole cell was deployed. They wouldn't let anything happen to Asuma-sensei. Besides, that would be six jōnin-level shinobi in the team. They'd be strong enough to take on members of the Akatsuki, right? They even had foresight into the Akatsuki skillsets. Still, her own hands shook. She forced them to steady. Shikamaru needed her to be strong right now.

She couldn't tell him that everything would be fine.

She couldn't know that for sure.

None of them knew how the cascade would fall.

Only that it would.

Even if they knew the skillsets of the Akatsuki, there was no telling what could happen.

Miho reached out to rest a hand on his upper arm, gripping it tightly. Grounding. Shikamaru had to feel out of control. He thrived on control, no matter how much it seemed otherwise. So much of what he did over the past two years had been to save Asuma-sensei and his father. And so many others that would lose their lives.

She hadn't seen him this afraid since…since Ino showed him the future.

"What do you need me to do?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nothing. It's troublesome, but…Just stand there."

Miho let him settle his forehead against her shoulder. He was still gripping the tree, pulling bark off under his fingernails. His other than gripped the meat of her her right forearm. The hold wasn't painful, but it was just tight enough to remind her that he was _strong_. She stood there for what felt like forever, letting him breathe through the panic attack. Because that's what it was. She knew what they looked like.

She'd experienced more than her fair share.

"You busy today?" She kept her voice quiet and even as his breathing slowed.

His head shook, still resting on her shoulder.

"Well, good. Come crash at the apartment while I bake. You can actually get some sleep, if you want, and you can give your parents the excuse that I needed help cooking."

"No way they'll buy that." He snorted, stepping back. He looked amused. The vestiges of the attack were still there— in the exhaustion in his eyes—but he looked to have it back under control. "Sure."

* * *

"All aboard the Murder Train." Sparrow sighed, sliding a senbon between each of his fingers. He watched as two very familiar figures stepped out from the trees. Team Taki was backed into a corner. Stupid kids. A cliff? You choose to confront attackers on a _cliff? _ Sure, make sure your back flank is covered, but still. Against these two? You needed movement. Sparrow could practically imagine the build-up of ominous music. Black cloaks, red clouds. Just like Miho's Mental Comic Book. Very dramatic. "To be clear, if either of you _die _in this fight, I'll personally punt your corpse back to Konoha."

He could feel Rabbit's surprise at the statement, but Monkey's whispered response was even and steady. "That's got real dark real quick." Considering Monkey was looking at the man that would kill him in the potential future, Sparrow could think of a hundred witty one-liners.

"Yeah, well…Not exactly in the sunniest of moods. I was supposed to be celebrating my kids' promotion, eating barbecue and cake, not fighting a couple dumbass 'immortals.'" He watched as Fū's back stiffened. She was trying to make small talk with the missing-nin from Taki. Which, _of course she was._ And he had to somehow bring this jinchūriki back alive. "Monkey, _don't_ get stabbed."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Your kids—"

"I _know_." Monkey's voice was low. "Same goes for you."

Sparrow scoffed. _He_ didn't die fighting these two jokers.

Hidan. Kukuzu. The Immortals.

"You two got something to tell me?" Rabbit's voice muffled under a quiet cough.

"Yeah. Hound is gonna owe us a round. He should be here dealing with this shit, too." Sparrow watched as the girl jumped back, gold eyes wide. "All the intel provided in the mission file was correct." The 'intel' was straight from his student's brain and it'd been summarized in the Akatsuki mission briefs. He noticed the signal from Beta Team. "Looks like we're good-to-go. Beta Team is in position."

Sparrow turned to look at Rabbit.

Rabbit, who was newly married with a baby on the way.

Something sick roiled in Sparrow's stomach.

Rabbit shot him a look through his mask, reaffirming his hold on his swords.

The Taki shinobi sprang into action when Fū narrowly avoided a slice of the Jashinist's scythe.

"Okay. The Murder Train is now departing. Let's roll."

He made a hand sign and vanished.

* * *

"Vanilla or chocolate?"

Shikamaru was asleep on the couch while Tetsuya was in his room doing some kind of maintenance on one of his swords. Miho wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he was focused and determined to complete it by sundown. He said something about Hayate-sensei's plans to start the next level after he returned from a mission. Shin sat at a stool by the counter, reading a book and occasionally watching as she stirred a mixing bowl. Every so often, his attention would track upward, and Miho wondered just what he sensed. It was a terribly domestic scene. She finished with the batter she'd been working on and turned to Shin.

"Chocolate." Shin answered, looking up from his book. Miho nodded, turning to the baking supply cupboard. She withdrew the chocolate and a glass bowl. "We're being watched."

The privacy seal was activated, which meant that only someone with clearance could access the space. The list of individuals given access was very short. Two of which were out of the village. That only left three others. Chōji was training with their father at the Akimichi Estate. Ino was on-shift with the Intelligence Division. That only left… Miho smiled slightly, moving over to the refrigerator.

He must've just returned from a mission or training trip.

She hadn't seen him in years now, but...

She pulled out the onigiri she'd purchased on the walk home with Shikamaru from the specialty shop in the East Market. She'd intended to save it for her post-training meal. The Akimichi varieties were packed with enriched fillings. Though they cost more, they made the snacks more appealing to high-calorie diets. Miho drew out three pork-filled rice balls and sat them on a plate.

Smiling, Miho sat it on top of the refrigerator. Shin said nothing about the gesture. She turned back to the stove and grabbed a pot, filling it with water. The glass bowl was settled on top of the pot on the stove and the chocolate was melted there as she stirred in just-warm-enough coffee.

Whisking was cheap therapy.

"Tetsuya? Come here."

A few moments later, Tetsuya shuffled into the kitchen. He looked tired as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His long hair fell around his shoulders. Miho didn't quite think he had the Hyuuga beat, but he might've been aiming for Gluten-Free's aesthetic. "Sup?" Not that he could ever pull it off.

Miho pulled in a breath. "Lady Tsunade has already decided our assignment. We'll be moving forward as a team."

Tetsuya and Shin were quiet. She knew Shikamaru was likely listening in, even if he had been asleep before. Their privacy barrier was still activated, so Miho felt comfortable finally revealing the news to her teammates. She withdrew the chocolate from the stove and moved to pour the glaze over the cake.

"We're going to become the Hokage Guard Platoon."

"We're— _What?"_

Smiling a bit at Tetsuya's squawked question, Miho looked up from the cake to see Shin's wide eyes.

"We're to be trained by Genma-sensei and the other guard members. We're gonna be on the tokubetsu jōnin or jōnin track with field promotion."

She finished adding the chocolate glaze. The cake looked delicious, a perfect celebration cake for the party at the barbeque restaurant on North Street that night. Both of her teammates were quiet and Miho looked up, meeting Tetsuya's eyes.

"She said we were hand-picked."

"More like we were specially trained." Tetsuya scoffed, but there was an excited glint in his eyes. "What are the chances we have statistically the highest number of successful escort missions in single year of our generation and our teacher is already a member of the platoon? Close, mid, and long-range fighters with decent chakra control." Miho saw where his train of thought was headed. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the past year alone has been to set us on this path."

"Genma-sensei is not just a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon. He's the leader of it. He would know if we were qualified."

"He's also protective as all hell." Tetsuya supplied.

Miho and Shin nodded, smiling at each other. Their teacher was definitely protective. She'd seen him become the battle-hardened shinobi and ANBU operative several times. Each time, it was to protect someone. A thrill of fear shot through her stomach and she sat down the glass bowl of chocolate before she dropped it.

"Not to mention, didn't Okuda Keisuke guard the Fourth?" Tetsuya gestured to Miho. She nodded, eyes drifting to the cake again. "We're gonna guard the future Hokages as well, huh?" Her head jerked up and she looked around to Tetsuya, who pushed off the wall and grinned at her. His meaning was clear.

_We're gonna guard Naruto in the future as well, huh?_

Tetsuya grinned at her, a determined light in his eyes.

"_Savior or not, he matters to you, so he matters to me."_

Miho smiled. For the first time since her meeting with the Hokage, she felt reassured. "We won't hear more until Genma-sensei gets back from his mission. Until then, we'll receive our individual assignments. Seems like those are as-requested. And we'll be working assigned missions as normal."

Miho knew she was leaving something out. ANBU. They could learn of that opportunity themselves and make their own decisions regarding that course. Miho glanced over to the plate on the refrigerator to find the rice balls had disappeared.

"We've got a couple hours before we meet the others. I'm gonna bake some more."

"I want those things you made for my birthday last year." Tetsuya said as he turned to walk back to his room. "The cake looks delicious by the way." Miho grinned down at her creation, itching to eat it. It was only Tetsuya's voice calling out that kept her from giving into temptation. "And Miho? Shin? We're gonna be the best damn Hokage Guard Platoon this village has ever seen. Book Club?"

"Let's get it!" Shin and Miho responded, laughing.

From the couch in the living room, the lethargic voice of Nara Shikamaru was exasperated. "You all are so _noisy. _Can't a guy sleep in peace? Geez."

"Whose couch are you crashed on? Whose apartment are you hiding in?" Tetsuya questioned, returning to his room. "Got a problem and you can just _troublesome _your way out the door."

Miho laughed as grabbed the empty onigiri plate, settling it in the sink before she turned to grab the bag of apples from the space by the coffeemaker. Shikamaru let out something that sounded very close to a whine before deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. At the counter, Shin went back to reading his book.

She should have been more confident in this assignment from the start. Tetsuya was right. They would become the best Hokage Guard Platoon. They'd protect the Hokages to the best of their ability. And she would protect her teammates, too.

That's just…what Team Five did.

* * *

Yakiniku Q was a common haunt for cross-team meals. It was owned and managed by her third cousin, Kumiko, who doted on her customers like they were family. When she'd arrived, bearing a large cake, Kumiko swept up the treats and hurried them into her large refrigerator, promising to bring them back out when everyone had finished their meals. And Kumiko's sweet laugh was no more amused than when she watched three chūnin waddle in with bags of assorted pies, doughnuts, and candies.

"They're in the back room."

"Chōji here yet?"

Kumiko waved her off, moving to set the bags of sweets behind the counter. Miho smiled at the way the woman's cheeks flushed from the heat of the constantly-running grills. If she weren't a kunoichi, Miho could see herself where Kumiko was standing, happily watching as customers ate delicious meats. "Your brother has already started grilling. Go! Go! I will bring the galbi soon."

"Shikamaru, you're already out a few bucks." Kiba called, waving over the partitions. "Chōji said this was on you!"

"Wha— Me? This wasn't even my idea!"

Miho smiled at Shikamaru's long-suffering look, leaving him in the lobby. He was more than used to losing money to Chōji's appetite. She moved over to where the girls sat, following Tenten's waves. The boys were at another table next to the one the girl's occupied. Ino was in control of the grill, but immediately handed over the tongs to Miho when she sat.

"Miho's better at grilling than Chōji. And she doesn't hog all the meat." Ino declared, leaning back to glare in Chōji's direction. Chōji didn't even acknowledge her, popping a piece of meat into his mouth. "So, we lucked out."

Huffing a laugh at her brother's expense, Miho set to monitoring the grill. "Chōji considers the grill a battleground. And there are no acceptable losses."

There were snickers from the boys' table.

Her friends settled into conversation. Sakura was continuing her apprenticeship with the Hokage. Hinata was currently developing a new jutsu. Miho's mind flashed to Hinata's two fists covered in blue flames. Swallowing down her salivation, she almost choked when another Image assaulted her mind. Naruto, pinned by black rods with his eyes wide. A crater where Konoha should have—

A hand rested on her shoulder. Ino jerked Miho into her side. "Well, Miho here finally mastered the Akimichi bō style!"

"I thought you mastered the style when you got back from training?" Tenten's eyes were glued to the sizzling brisket that Miho flipped. The caramelization looked delicious and Miho decided that particular piece would go to the weapons mistress. "Before Elder Torifu died?"

"There was one more level when he passed. Luckily, my Uncle Zosui was able to teach it. I finished mastery before the chūnin exams." Now she could see the irony. Miho flipped a particularly yummy-looking piece of brisket. Maybe that was why everyone was so _offended _that she didn't use her weapon. It'd only been a week before the exams when she'd completed her training at last. She settled a few piece of meat on Hinata's plate and smiled. Hinata smiled back, tucking her hair behind her ear.

An hour later, Miho sat the cake on a table Kumiko had wheeled out. While everyone fluttered around it, gathering their pieces, Miho grinned and grabbed a small specially-packaged sweet. She caught Rock's eye before stepping in front of Neji as he approached the sweets. Rock muffled his laughter into his arm, dragging Tenten's attention around so that she would watch the show.

"Hey, Neji." He stopped, raising his brows. Miho rarely approached him outside of training. During these rare get-togethers, he tended to stick with the boys or next to Hinata. Also, Miho couldn't recall the last time she'd ever used his actual name. "Never got to congratulate you on the promotion, so I made you something."

Miho barely withheld a cackle at his expression when she held out the treat, watching his expression morph from one of peaceful enjoyment to a putrid scowl.

Hyuuga Neji scowled down at the cupcake as if it were an enemy that had personally offended him and all of his values. Miho couldn't relate. She'd never looked at food like that before.

The cupcake was straight-forward. Vanilla with chocolate icing. Most importantly—

"It's gluten-free," she assured him.

It took years of training to keep Miho's face even. Years of Genma-sensei and Master Torifu's training to keep her composure. She held his stare when his eyes finally looked up from the proffered cupcake. The stare seemed to last for a while, as if Neji thought that if he stood _still enough_ and stared _long enough_ that she would whisk the cupcake away and eat it herself. Then, the scowl on his face eased and, with a certain amount of regal acceptance, he took the cupcake.

Miho had to consciously keep her jaw from dropping.

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome." Miho grinned. She wasn't completely sure what made him take it. It could have been simply that she was of another Noble Clan and he didn't want to cause offense. Miho hoped that wasn't the case given that he'd kicked her ass more than once in spars. Accepting a cupcake should be that hard. He turned his back and walked away.

Neji really did have pretty hair, Miho observed as he calmly made his way back to the table where Hinata and Tetsuya sat. Tetsuya's could've even compare. Neither could hers. She was almost jealous. Her hair was a riot of curls that seemed almost as big as her on some days almost always tangled. Though most of the time it was kept out of her face by a ponytail with a kunoichi spike set, Miho knew it was barely controlled chaos.

A lot like her chakra, she supposed.

"You're jealous of his hair, aren't you?"

"Were you in my head just now?" Miho laughed, turning to Ino. Ino definitely couldn't relate. She had gorgeous blonde hair that seemed to flow on a ridiculous invisible wind. Ino smirked. "The guy has _pretty hair_. Hell, all of the Hyuuga have pretty hair."

She could feel Neji's glare. Shouldn't he be preening?

"You have pretty hair, Miho. It's full and thick and I know that there're a few guys out there that love it." Miho scoffed at Ino's words. It didn't matter if guys liked her hair. All that really mattered was keeping it out of the way in fights and keeping it longer because that's what she liked. Still, this comment made her conscious of it being in her face and Miho raised an arm to push it back. She took a bite of cake as she did so. "Like Kankurō."

Miho nearly inhaled the cake, sputtering as a heavy hand slammed into her back. Lee, she figured out a moment later as he fretted. Ino launched into a peal of laughter, looking far lighter than she had in a while. Her blue eyes were dancing.

"What? Kankurō? The Kazekage's brother?" Sakura leaned forward onto her elbows, eyes also alight. She waggled her brows. "Is that why you two were off whispering at the party?"

"We weren't 'off whispering.'"

"She didn't deny it!" Sakura said in awe. Her lips tilted mischievously. "Whaddya know?"

Miho swallowed again, shoveling another bite of cake into her mouth so that she wouldn't say anything stupid. Her eyes tracked around the room to see that Tenten was grinning from where she was sitting with Shin. Both Shikamaru and Chōji had stopped eating and were watching her like hawks, no doubt looking for any tells. There was a bark and suddenly Kiba was in front of her, leaned into his elbows like Sakura. Akamaru seemed to mirror him. Miho jerked back.

"What? You and the weird _Puppet Guy_? For real?"

Why did his tone imply that was a bad thing? Weird Puppet Guy?

"Kiba, go play fetch or something." Miho glared.

To an Inuzuka, those were fighting words.

Kiba nearly squared up, but was quickly blocked by Hinata.

Miho glanced over to see Ino's smirk as her arms crossed. _This is entirely _your _fault. _Ino's smirk became a full-blown smile. As if to play into the role a bit more, Ino immediately flew into Gossip Mode. As if she didn't know the inner workings of Miho's mind better than anyone. As if she couldn't literally _read the thoughts in her head._

"Dish on the dish, Akimichi. Pun definitely intended. We always love a cute little romance."

'Cute' and 'little' didn't quite fit here, Miho mentally corrected.

_What then? 'Handsome' and 'big'?_

To Miho's absolute horror, the first image she saw in her mind was Kankurō. Scrambling, she reeled back on the thought and met Ino's joy-filled stare. Her best friend giggled. _Giggled. _Ino _never _giggled in this reality.

Just as Miho began to open her mouth to try and salvage the situation, Shin spoke up. "He brings her cookies." He was saying it to Tenten, but loud enough that literally everyone could hear. Tenten, enjoying mayhem as much as the next person, nodded her head with solemn understanding. "It's adorable."

"They've been exchanging letters for years now," Tetsuya explained to Hinata. He was leaning forward and hiding his mouth with a half-assed cupped hand. A conspirator's whisper. That literally everyone could hear. Hinata's mouth opened to respond, but she was cut off again. "It's adorable."

"Green bags with pink bows," Shin added to Tenten.

"He really thinks he's smooth with it."

Forget protecting them.

Her teammates were traitors.

Heart racing a bit, Miho looked around desperately for an ally. She definitely didn't deserve this, not after she made them treats. Not after she grilled their meat. Not after she _shared food_ with them. This was an outrage. Her gathered friends were definitely playing it up. Lee was nodding along to whatever Shin was saying. The rest were falling in line. Her brother and Shikamaru were staying out of it, watching with mildly irritated expressions.

No way she would look to Gluten-Free for help.

Then there was one.

"Help me out here, Shino."

He'd been sitting at the far end of the boys' table, quietly eating and observing the madness. She met his eyes across the room, or at least, she was pretty sure she did as they were hidden behind his usual glasses. Miho waited to see if he'd step in to lend _any _kind of aid. He lowered his chopsticks.

"You do have pretty hair."

There was a beat of silence.

"SAY WHAT?" was the collective shout.

Shino calmly raised a cup to his lips and sipped under the full weight of the stares he was receiving. "An observation."

Thrown entirely off-kilter, Miho grinned over at him. She was pretty sure that the grills were putting off way too much heat because she suddenly felt very flushed. "Thank you, Shino." He didn't quite help, but his comment did get the others to settle down out of sheer shock. It's like they didn't know what to do with his compliment and to refute it would be to make Miho feel terrible.

Actually, it was a pretty sound strategy.

Seeing the lack of discussion, Lee took advantage of the silence to raise his voice. "YOSH! WE WILL EAT OUR CELEBRATORY CAKE FOR WE ARE NOW CHŪNIN OF KONOHAGKURE AND OUR LEGACY SHALL BE A GREAT ONE!" Miho lifted her cake place in acknowledgement of Rock's proclamation as her friends did the same with yells of agreement. "AND THANK YOU SHIKAMARU FOR THE FOOD!"

"Now wait just a damn—"

About thirty minutes later, Miho reached for her wallet only to have Sakura's hand rest on her arm. "No, no. You baked all afternoon. Shin told us." Looking around, Miho saw Shin walking out the door, waving a hand over his shoulder. Shikamaru ambled up, looking downcast as he eyed his wallet. "Shikamaru, the girl's pooled money to pay for our table. Don't worry about it."

Shikamaru shot her a smile, taking the money. No way was he going to turn that down.

Miho moved to gather her cake plate and any extra goods from behind the counter. Kumiko was wrapping up a couple tables at the back. Watching her cousin, this brought Miho's eyes to the last person exiting their party room. Shino lifted his head and she was sure he'd met her stare this time. There was just this _sense_ that there was eye contact.

"Thanks for the compliment and the tactical save. You didn't have to step in, but I appreciated that you did."

"Your thanks are unnecessary. Why? Because I merely repaid a compliment."

Miho raised her brows, following him out of the restaurant. "Repaid?"

"Miho! Let's go."

By the time she turned back around, Shino was gone.

* * *

Sparrow stumbled, crashing to his knees as a hand pressed against his stomach. He reached up and pulled the mask from his face, throwing it to the side. It wasn't needed here, and it felt like the mask was suffocating him. His attention skittered to Lizard, who had already collapsed, and Panda, who was breathing hard. Panda had suffered the least damage, all things considered. Lizard though…Iwashi might not make it. He looked at the two bodies on the floor between them.

Two bodies. There should have been a third.

There should have been a third and he hadn't been _fast _enough.

"What the hell?"

He could hear voices and the world turned into shapes. Moving shapes, shouting shapes. He could feel the anxiety in the room, the fear. Then, there was the Hokage, pressing a green-glowing hand to his abdomen. Genma shook his head, pushing her hand away.

"N-Not me. G-Get Asuma. Asuma first."

Asuma, who'd been impaled.

Asuma, who tired _so hard._

Asuma, whose kids _couldn't _lose him.

"Shit! Shizune! Get over here. Deal with Genma. He's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him into the OR immediately. Cat, call in Sakura. Now. Deer, alert the hospital. Secure channels only." Vaguely, Genma wondered if his kids had gone out to celebrate. He was definitely too late to make the party. It'd be hard to throw parties for a while now. He wondered if they had a good time. "Panda! We need a report. What happened out there?"

Shit. Shit happened out there.

Genma would have told her so, but the world was dimming.

"One Akatsuki eliminated, L-Lady Fifth. One incapacitated indefinitely. One jinchūriki sec-secured."

Genma tried to force himself to stay awake, to say the words that he knew Raidō would choke on. The words he didn't want Raidō to have to say. He was the leader of this mission after all. If anyone should say it, it should be him.

"One— casualty, Lady Hokage. One op-operative cap-captured."

He couldn't fight it any longer. Genma lost consciousness.

* * *

**A/N:**

I am both sorry and not sorry. This is where rubber meets the road! Welcome to the rest of the plot, the pairing, and the ramifications. HERE WE GO! The new arc starts now.

Thank you so, so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows. I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed this rollercoaster of a chapter.

Please leave me your thoughts!


	33. Part II: Tests

Miho hated hospital chairs. For years, her hips had pressed uncomfortably against the metal bars, making her thighs and knees and lower back ache. Now, as her hips had grown, the chairs were even more uncomfortable. The metal creaked ever so slightly when she moved, so she tried not to shift her weight.

Clearly, the designers never seen an Akimichi before.

It explained why she'd never seen any of her kin sitting in these blasted things. She'd never thought about it until it affected her own comfort. Eventually, she wouldn't be able to fit either. So, she'd stand along the wall like her cousins and uncles and aunts. For now though, the bars pressed against her hips and her back ached.

Miho drew a needle through the fabric in her hands.

She'd been there for hours.

The room was dim now, the sunlight from the window had long-since given way to moonlight.

On the bed, Genma-sensei lay unconscious. On the second bed in the room, Asuma-sensei lay unconscious as well. Both were breathing steadily, bandages wrapped around various parts of their bodies. Their injuries weren't quite catastrophic, and certainly not the worst of the team, but bad enough that they hadn't awoken in three days. They were stable, which was more than could be said for several people at the moment.

Pulling the needle through the fabric again, Miho's eyes tracked over to where Shikamaru sat, eyes shut as if asleep. She knew he wasn't, but she let him pretend. He needed time to think.

To evaluate. To work his way through this absolute mess.

And it was, truly, a mess. A mess that was top-secret. A mess that they only knew a bit about.

A disastrous protection mission. Four injured. One dead.

Tetsuya had declared earlier that he would be at Training Field #5 for the rest of the day when she'd left for the hospital that morning. Miho just sat— as if in a daze— in the living room until Tetsuya left. Tears had pricked at her eyes again. She didn't let them fall. She didn't feel like she had any right to them.

His sword and sword scroll were slung across his back. The straps across his shoulders stitched with moon phases, had been a gift from Hayate-sensei when Tetsuya'd mastered the Third Level. The scroll itself had been a gift when he mastered the Fourth Level.

He only had one more level…

Tetsuya would've received his second sword in the ceremony.

The front door had slammed shut.

Miho had let out a quivering breath, barely keeping the tears at bay, looking to Shin. As if Shin could somehow hold everything together. As if he could somehow guide her through this. He'd been trying. He'd been trying so hard to keep everyone steady. Shin held her stare for a long moment before nodding.

"I'll go keep an eye on him. Make sure you carry snacks."

She had just pressed her lips together.

Shin had heaved in a breath and disappeared, not bothering to act like anything less than a jōnin. His shushin was flawless. He'd stopped holding back when he got that vest. He had no reason to pretend anymore.

Idly, Miho pushed the needle through the fabric again, settling a little blue bead onto the needle before drawing the string up through the bead's eye. She repeated the motion again and again and again for hours. The little coin purse was decorated with red and pink and white cherry blossoms, green leaves arching around the bottom. She was working on the background now, blue like water or the sky.

In and out, in and out, in and out.

"Don't be a drag."

Miho jerked her head up to find Shikamaru staring at her over the bodies of their teachers. His eyes were hard, sharp. She held his stare for a long moment. They hadn't spoken for days. Not since they'd spent the first night in the hospital with their teams. Even then, it was only a passing look and semi-empty words.

Dealing with Shikamaru was always so much different from dealing with Ino or Chōji. Miho could never quite keep up with him. She knew that was part of why he felt responsible for all of them, because he was the smartest. He thought so far ahead. With knowledge of the future, too, that weighed on him differently. Miho lowered her eyes to the beads before returning to her task. In and out.

Ino was forthright, but purposeful.

Chōji was honest, but kind.

Shikamaru was something else.

"These two and the others, they weren't your fault. Koji wasn't your fault. Hayate wasn't your fault." Shikamaru's voice was firm. "He was just doing his job."

Miho shook her head before setting the beadwork down onto her lap, still staring at it. "Don't, Shikamaru. I don't want to talk about it." She looked up again, meeting his eyes. He stared at her for a long moment before shifting his attention toward the ceiling. He slumped in his seat, head falling onto the back of it. The muscles in his jaw tightened. Miho swallowed down a swell of frustration. All of his tells. He wasn't gonna let this go. "You—"

"Tetsuya's a strong guy. He'll get through it."

A flare of anger hit Miho so strongly that she felt the needle in his hand snap between her fingers. She couldn't decide whose voice in her head was tutting, Genma-sensei's or Grandfather Hu's or Elder Torifu's. She felt the needle prick her skin, but she hardly acknowledged it. Instead, she curled it and her hand into her scarf to hide the blood.

He could probably smell it though. She could. She pushed herself out of the uncomfortable chair and turned her back to him, moving to look out of the window. Konoha was sleeping. Quiet. Calm. Seemingly peaceful. She could remember visions though. It was like she was a child again, seeing future ghosts on the horizon.

There was a scene that she kept seeing. It was a darkened room at the Nara house, scattered shogi pieces, and Shikamaru's crying. Miho's grip tightened and she settled her free hand on the window sill.

"Like you got through it? Like Naruto got through it?"

Shikamaru lifted his head again and held his breath for a long moment before sighing. "That wasn't _me_. That wasn't _Naruto_. I haven't gone through any of that shit. Trying to avoid it." He let out a long breath, leaning back into his chair in a faux-relaxed manner. "Death though? It's coming for all of us. It could be today, tomorrow, during an attack…You know death, Miho. Better than a lot of people. We can't predict it."

Miho pulled in a breath, held it for a moment, and let it out.

Who was she to argue or lament that? She'd died more times than she could count.

"You're right."

His silence told her that he agreed.

"I thought we changed it though."

Shikamaru snorted lightly and shook his head. "We've changed plenty. We _did _change it. We're still changing it. We don't even know what happened. We only know the public story. If nothing had changed, things would be different. "

That's right. Instead of losing a lover, Yugao has now lost her husband. Instead of burying herself in ANBU, Yugao instead was left with a baby to raise alone. Miho's teammate lost his master. One of his most precious people. Someone who helped him escape a pompous, hateful clan. That was the price. The price of a dead man walking.

Were some aspects of the plot so necessary? Plot points that couldn't be avoided? Every time she tried to reason her way through it, her head started to hurt. It was all too much to consider, philosophies for minds much wiser than her own. Miho knew she could never work her way through it, so she often left it. Or ate it.

That anxiety often tasted of chocolate chips.

Two ANBU teams sent to rescue a jinchūriki, to keep other terrible things from happening in the future. Yet, this was where they'd arrived.

Miho heard the words in her head before she spoke them. An old, withered voice. She'd heard that voice before, when she learned of the Third Hokage's death. He'd been saved then, but his death still found him all the same. She tiredly lowered her head, speaking the words into the stale air of the hospital.

"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it."

When she looked up again, Shikamaru's answering stare was dark. Darker than Miho had been expecting. Every so often, it was easy to see the shadows _in _the Nara. Her father said it was because their minds _demanded_ balance.

Just like a shogi board couldn't function without dark and light pieces.

Nara couldn't exist without shadows and light.

Every so often, the shadows won out.

"That's bullshit."

Shikamaru was on his feet, hands fisted at his sides. Miho held her breath, watching as the shadows in the room became darker. It was only years and years of knowing and interacting with Nara, and specifically with Shikamaru, that kept her from moving. She knew not to move away from the light of the moon. The shadows were writhing.

"Destiny? If _destiny_ were a _real thing_, Sasuke would be with Orochimaru. If destiny were a _real thing_, Danzō would still be alive. Your teammate would be _dead_. If destiny were a real thing, you wouldn't be here. Only cowards let so-called 'destiny' become a refuge for their fear." Shikamaru's eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. "Don't you dare point at destiny, Akimichi Miho. You're no coward." His shoulders rose and fell.

Miho wondered if he really believed all of what he said.

Or if he was afraid for Asuma.

And his father.

Because destiny could come for their lives as well.

Swallowing down a swell of fear, she nodded. "Okay, Shikamaru."

"'Destiny' is bullshit, Miho."

In another life, she'd thought the same. But then, she'd been pulled into a book. A book that demanded a sacrifice. She'd been killed there because someone _had_ to die. Even after they'd tried everything they could to avoid it. Someone always had to die. The plot demanded a price. It demanded a trade for the three wishes it granted. In another life, too, destiny was nothing more than device, driving all actors to the end of their storylines. Blood was the _deus ex machina_.

How often was destiny confused for plot? How often was plot confused for destiny? How often were they one in the same?

How long had it been since she'd eaten?

Miho realized then how hungry she was. Her knees began to shake.

"So damn troublesome." Shikamaru fell into his seat again, letting out a sigh. He seemed to deflate, all of the fight leaving him. His dark eyes tracked back to Asuma's face. "This whole thing is troublesome. Why couldn't I have just been a rock or something?"

Not responding, Miho instead looked to her teacher'sface, mimicking Shikamaru's distraction. Genma-sensei's expression was peaceful, healed of bruises. The bandages covered a nasty, slow-healing gash on his temple. She wondered why it wasn't healed by the medics. His right leg had been crushed. It was still in traction, raised up in a white cast. He'd be in physical therapy for months.

There'd been no other word on the team members, and perhaps that was the worst part of it all.

The silence.

And the silence persisted until Miho fell into a doze in that uncomfortable waiting room chair. Her stomach rumbled and roared.

Her dreams were not quite her own. Or maybe they were. Miho stopped wondering where she began and ended a while ago. The Bears of Center Mountain told her that it didn't matter. All of those others were her as well. The sooner she accepted that, the more at peace she'd be. The longer she dwelled on those other lives, the more she would be consumed by them. So, the dreams shifted eventually from waving wheat and sunset to a half-forgotten memory.

"_You know," Naruto said. "I wonder if we were meant to meet, ya know. Your dad and my dad, they were friends. The old man said that they were best friends. Maybe we were always supposed to be friends."_

"_I believe that." Miho responded, reaching up to take his hand. The moon was casting a bright reflection into Naruto's tiny apartment, where Miho lay on a floor mat. His hand reached down from the edge of his bed. Miho took it and held onto it, like a lifeline. "I think maybe I was supposed to find you."_

_Naruto was quiet for a long time. Miho wondered if he'd fallen asleep. "I wish it was different though...I wish we could've known them. You think maybe...everything happens because it's supposed to?"_

_Before either could answer, they fell asleep. _

"Should've known you two would be here. Secure the room."

Miho jolted awake, throwing herself upright and out of the chair. Lady Tsunade looked exhausted as she stepped further into the room. With a sigh, she looked between Miho and Shikamaru. There was an interested draw to her brows. Then, she strode toward Asuma's bed, heels clacking against the linoleum. Miho nodded to Shizune, who entered with her master. Shizune just smiled sadly, returning the nod.

Flinching, Miho _felt _the air tense as ANBU stood guard over the space. She'd known they would be guarding anyway with both Genma and Asuma being in ANBU recovering from an ANBU op. Still, the feeling made her tense. Tsunade turned, narrowing her eyes at Miho.

"Asuma and Genma were both damn lucky."

Miho itched to ask questions, but kept them to herself by pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth. It'd been _three days_. No information. No explanation. No questions answered. Very little had been released about Hayate-sensei's death or the mission that resulted in the hospitalizations. Just a mission gone wrong.

Living in a shinobi village, people just learned not to ask questions when their friends died. Miho didn't ask. She just sat by her teacher's bed and held her teammate when he cried.

"An Akimichi privacy seal as well. Now."

Swallowing, Miho stood, pulled a paper tag from her thigh pouch, and pushed it to the wall, flaring her chakra just enough to active the seal. It adhered to the sheetrock and spread across the space, securing it from observation. Her arms tingled. She should've eaten before taking that nap.

"Shizune, check on Genma. Heal that head wound, if you're up for it."

Miho stepped out of the way, watching as the older woman held a glowing green hand over her teacher's forehead.

"We have recovered Fū of Taki. She is currently recovering in a secure medical bunker in the sub-basement." Lady Tsunade stated, withdrawing a hand from Asuma to place both hands on her hips. "So that's something at least."

Miho felt her arms go numb.

Fū? Recovered? Alive? She survived?

She was in Konoha?

Miho watched the Hokage's shoulders tensed. Another jinchūriki in Konoha? Miho let out a quivering breath, trying to hide how badly her hands were shaking. Fū was _alive_. The Akatsuki hadn't acquired another jinchūriki. That was—

That was—

That was remarkable.

She could sense a smug sort of satisfaction rolling off of Shikamaru in waves.

"Kukuzu and Hidan of Akatsuki have been terminated. The latter— Well, I believe they took some inspiration. Or, at least, Asuma did." Her nod to Shikamaru was more than enough for both to understand. The bastard was buried alive. _Good._ Miho felt a thrill of fear when she felt a sick sort of satisfaction. _Let him suffer. _"We won't be seeing them again. Akimichi remembered that…arc…in surprising detail."

Her former self remembered…because Shikamaru was a favorite character.

She had a plant named after him. Then. There.

Now, that bastard Hidan was dead, or as good as. And Miho had never felt so satisfied.

Miho felt herself stumble, feeling a bit weak at the knees. She caught herself on the wall.

Two down.

The world seemed to blur a bit.

"Akimichi, eat something. Now."

Feeling properly chastised, Miho leaned her back against the wall and withdrew several high calorie protein balls from her vest pockets. She chewed them even though they tasted like concrete in her mouth. The Hokage was right. She hadn't had nearly enough calories. She'd need to calorie-load when she returned home. Nearly an entire day without proper calories. She'd only had about 5,000 for the whole day.

Elder Ayumu would throw a _fit_ if she knew.

That was only a quarter of the bare minimum she needed to eat.

If she kept pushing it, her body would go into withdrawals.

She needed to eat. And she'd have to somehow get Tetsuya to eat, too.

"I don't imagine I need to reiterate that this is top secret?" Miho shook her head while Shikamaru only raised his brows. "Others in-the-know will be told. It was Hayate that took out Kukuzu's final heart. He was already fatally injured by Kukuzu in the battle. If he wasn't there, this would've gone a lot different." Lady Tsunade turned to Genma-sensei, sighing. "Genma, Iwashi, and Raidō were reckless, but effective. In a feat they've never accomplished before, or really, that the Fourth Hokage never tried, they teleported two people at one time. Arrogant or confident is still being debated."

Teleported?

Miho felt her stomach lurch.

Flying Thunder God. _Of course._

The Hokage Guard Platoon could use the Flying Thunder God technique if they were together.

"Iwashi is still touch-and-go. I'm not completely sure he'll make it. But he's a proud man. He might survive on pride alone. Raidō will also nag him right out of the grave. These two will wake tomorrow morning, in time for the funeral tomorrow evening." Her eyes tracked to Genma-sensei's leg. "He's going to be insufferable about the crutches."

"That's five. There were six sent on this mission, right? Two ANBU cells."

Miho felt herself flinch.

He was right.

How had she not noticed? How had she not realized?

Two ANBU cells.

Miho couldn't tell if she was breathing, swallowing down the last of her protein ball. The peanut butter seemed to stick to the back of her throat.

Two three-man cells. Iwashi, Genma-sensei, and Raidō.

Asuma, Hayate, and—

Hayate's body was returned. Fū was in Konoha.

That meant...

The Hokage met Shikamaru's stare.

"Yamashiro Aoba was captured."

* * *

Miho hated the funeral uniform.

It clung just a bit too tightly to her hips.

Her hips seemed to be full of problems these days.

She'd bought the funeral uniform just a year ago, after Master Torifu died. Now, it made Miho uncomfortable— too tight, too constricting. It was her own fault for buying from a seller that didn't sell Akimichi clothing. She should've _thought_ about it. There was nothing she could do about it now. She pulled in a breath, staring in the mirror on the back of her bedroom door. There were bags under her eyes, and she felt bone-tired, as if every bit of energy had been drained from her. She made a kind of half-hearted effort to pinch at her cheeks, to bring some color back. It faded under her clan markings.

Even her lips were pale.

Food didn't sound appealing. Just thinking of eating, at the moment, made her feel a bit sick. Indigestion seemed to sit constantly in her chest, bubbling under her heart.

It was only through Shin's prodding that she'd managed to get a shower after returning to the apartment the previous night. Now, her curls were kinked so unfortunately that she had to pull her hair back to make it somewhat decent. She tied it back with a black strip of fabric from her sewing materials.

It wasn't proper funeral hair, but Miho doubted that anyone would care.

She made her way from her room to Tetsuya's.

The apartment seemed more empty than normal.

Sasuke's closed door. Naruto's closed door.

Shin was showering, getting cleaned up after his stint at the hospital that morning.

Her stomach churned as she paused to look back at Naruto's door.

She'd need to tell Naruto...

"Stringbean?" Miho arrived to Tetsuya's door, knocked, and heard no response. Pulling in a breath, she pushed the door open and spied him lying on the bed, staring over at the rack of swords on his other wall. His arms were folded under his head, legs curled up to his chest. Miho swallowed, but the fullness never left her throat. "Tetsuya?"

His black eyes sharpened and he looked over to her. "Miho." Her teammate pulled himself upright, settling his feet on the floor. He made no move to stand. His attention tracked back over to the swords again.

A sword waiting for its matching brother.

Miho swallowed again and approached.

Pushing herself onto the bed, Miho reached for his hand and held it. Like she had the night before. Like he had years ago. It seemed…It seemed they'd always be like this. No matter how much longer his fingers got, no matter how broader his palm was now. Linked at the calloused hands, as if that might stave off the hurt, they'd face the world. Or this grief. Or give just a bit of reassurance.

Maybe that was the whole point, really.

Tetsuya let out a quivering breath.

"Mas-Master—"

Tetsuya stopped, seeming to choke on the name. Miho watched as he steeled himself, the muscles in his jaw twitching as he tried to control the onslaught. Part of her wished he would just lose it again. Yell and scream and cry. At least then she knew that the fire wasn't burning him alive from the inside out.

"Master Hayate…t-told me— Yūgao-sensei is pregnant."

Miho nearly gave into the heat building behind her eyes and nose. She lifted her eyes to stare at the ceiling, forcing the tears to stop. _Just like Asuma. _Her free hand clenched into his blanket so tightly that she felt her fingers pop.

This was never supposed to happen. It was never supposed to be—

Even when it was Asuma and Kurenai, it wasn't right.

But it was. Miho nearly shook with the effort of keeping her emotions level.

_Breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. _

"We need to go. It's time."

_When it all goes south..._

Shin was in the doorway to Tetsuya's room. The light that normally seemed to dance in his eyes was gone, snuffed out by the grief that seemed to rest heavy on the apartment. She felt Tetsuya tense beside her. Miho cleared her throat and pushed herself forward, never once letting go of Tetsuya's hand.

He didn't move.

"Tetsuya—"

"_What? _My teacher was on _borrowed time anyway_?"

Miho let go of his hand as if it were on fire, sucking in a breath. She felt as if the air had been punched from her lungs. Tetsuya's dark eyes flashed before he seemed to realize what he'd said and how he'd said it. His face crumpled. Miho had always hated that expression. Like the guilt would eat him alive from the feet up. She knew what it felt like to be consumed.

She should've never told him.

Why did she tell him?

_Genma-sensei_ told him first.

"Miho, I—" He lifted both hands. "I'm—"

Shin was further into the room now, voice firm. "We need to go. You need to be there. You are the only other inheritor. Hayate-sensei's legacy needs to _be_ there. Get dressed." Miho felt Shin's hand rest on her shoulder as she passed him, looking for the refuge of the living room and kitchen. "Miho has already gotten the flowers and the basket. Get up. Now. Finish getting ready."

Tetsuya did as Shin commanded as if in a trance. Shin returned to the kitchen. He said nothing, letting his hands fall to his sides as Miho moved to grab the basket that she'd sat by the door. It was full of food, enough to keep Uzuki Yūgao— Hayate Yūgao— fed for at least three days.

An Akimichi standard during mourning periods.

Post-funeral baskets were a show of care from the Akimichi Clan.

Miho made everything in the basket herself as was standard practice. Proteins, starches, baked goods, soups.

Eating was even more essential now...

Yūgao was pregnant. Miho felt a thrill of nervous energy hit her when she glanced down at the basket. There was no fish. Salmon. Turning on her heel, Miho hurried back to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Her mother used to tell all the expectant mothers to eat salmon. Yūgao was eating for two now.

Her hands fretted with the wrapped breads and muffins, making sure none of them were squished as she settled a container of fresh sanpeijiru into the basket. She'd just made it the day before. It was one of Tetsuya's favorites. He said it 'didn't count as seafood since it was from the river.' Miho would just stop by the market again on the way home and remake some for him.

"She'll appreciate that."

Miho looked up to see Genma-sensei in the doorway, leaning heavily onto his crutches. She'd been too focused on the food.

Tears pricked at her eyes all over again at the sight of her teacher so injured, so obviously weakened and hurt, but still on his feet. He met her eyes over the counter. Shin was gone. She wondered if anyone had helped him from the hospital. She'd been told to stay away and handle the funeral preparations and Tetsuya. He must've seen her glance toward the door because her sensei shuffled, rolling his eyes.

"Gai's downstairs, mother hen. "

Not bothering to swallow down the tears, Miho set the basket down and hurried over to him, hands hovering above f his black-clad shoulders. She dropped her arms down again, knowing that a hug might hurt him. When she looked up to his face, she caught a glimpse of just how _tired _he was. The gash to his head at been healed, but the skin was scarred. It slit just under his hairline. Her attention flickered down to the cast, which covered his foot up to his knee.

Miho raised her eyes to meet his again.

He didn't put the mask back on and instead lowered his head until he was looking at her through his lashes. She could see that he was biting the inside of his cheek. Like he always did when he was trying to keep things under control.

"I'm _fine." _At her stare, he sighed. "Okay, I'm not fine. You're just as bad as Gai. But physically, I can handle this. You look thinner."

"Sensei..."

"You haven't been eating."

"Sensei."

"We'll talk about it later. Team Annoying's gonna meet us there." He was shifting the focus and Miho let him, stepping back and turning around to grab the basket. "Gai and his little band of miscreants are downstairs." He looked Miho over before jerking his head toward Tetsuya's room. He raised his brows.

Miho shook her head.

"Let's go."

Miho could hear Shin and Tetsuya stepping into the main space from Tetsuya's door. She turned away from Genma-sensei to make sure the fabric was covering the food in the basket (traditional red silk from the Akimichi stores) before looking up. Tetsuya lifted his head at the same time. Miho barely withheld a gasp, going still. She bit it down on her lip, focusing on her feet pressing against the floor to keep herself steady.

Her teammate wouldn't meet her eyes, glancing around the space as if seeing it anew for the first time. That's when he saw their teacher in the doorway.

"Gen-Genma-sensei..." He choked, looking to the man with wide, tear-filled eyes.

Genma-sensei said nothing, looking Tetsuya over.

Her teammate's hair was shorter now, falling in shaggy waves just past his jaw. Gone was his ponytail, the long hair he'd grown since Koji died. It was jagged, uneven. He'd just cut it in the time since she'd left his room, shorn it away with a blade. A kunai or a sword? Miho gulped down a swell of heartache that hurt like heartburn at the back of her throat.

She met Shin's dark eyes as he stood at Tetsuya's left shoulder.

"Genma-sen-sensei, I..."

"Come here, kid."

Tetsuya pulled in a breath and stepped forward, staggering toward where Genma-sensei stood. "Sensei..."

Miho watched as Genma-sensei pulled out a square of black cloth, handing it over into her teammate's shaking hands. "Seems like it might be more...more your style than mine today."

Valiantly trying to keep the sobs at bay, Tetsuya folded the square bandanna and reached up to wrap it around his head. When his hands lowered, they shook. Genma-sensei nodded at him, reaching out to settle a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder. The angle seemed more level now. Genma-sensei's hand seemed smaller compared to her teammate's broader shoulders. Tetsuya straightened, earning a nod from their teacher.

"He was so proud of you. And he truly believed you were the inheritor of his..." Genma-sensei stopped and took a breath. Tetsuya's posture was so straight and narrow, his upbringing in a formal, political clan was obvious. Genma-sensei continued, "You are his legacy. He loved you. Loved you like you were the family he never had." Her teacher's hand moved from Tetsuya's shoulder to his neck. "Let's go do this. Okay?"

Tetsuya nodded resolutely, squaring his shoulders.

Shin wasted no time and ushered her out after them. _We can do this,_ his expression seemed to say. Genma-sensei kept to Tetsuya's side. Miho fell into step with Lee, who cast her a subdued look and gave her a gentle hug. The processional gathered mourners as it moved toward the cemetery.

She wondered if the weight on her shoulders was an illusion of the funeral uniform's constriction. Or if it was because it seemed like the air was heavier, the sun hotter, and everything just a little...removed from reality.

Because there was so many gaping holes where people should be.

* * *

Elder Torifu died of a common Akimichi illness: heart failure.

He'd said it had just been a matter of time.

Heavy weight bears a toll on the body. Even if her clan had long since evolved to support the body's weight taxation with chakra reinforcement of the organs and bones, the burden of too many expansions, too much strain, and too many uses of the Three Pills, would hurt any body.

Her master died at seventy-four years of age.

The oldest Akimichi to ever live.

Miho sat the package of onigiri on the granite marker, bowing formally to it as far as her clothing would allow. He would be fussing at her. _"Stop being so frugal! Buy new dress clothes! You're of a noble clan, sweet bun. Dress the part." _ Miho smiled slightly and rested her hands on her haunches. He was a man of contradictions. All the formal pomp of fine silks for formal affairs; all the worn leathers of a working man from humble origins. Her master was a complex man.

She missed him.

The sun was setting, casting an orange and purple glow over the sky. The village seemed still, peaceful. Miho knew it was anything but. Another well-loved comrade was dead. A friend and mentor was captured. An unconscious jinchuriki was in the basement of the hospital. No one knew that part. A war was fast approaching. Yet all she seemed to be able to feel was the coolness of the soil melting into her knees where she knelt.

"Elder Torifu led a full life."

She had felt him approaching. He obviously wanted to give her the opportunity to turn him away.

Her father stepped up to her side. "He would be proud that you were promoted." Miho nodded, pulling at a piece of grass that had grown too long against the marker. Her father seemed to pull in a breath that was more tired and worn than she remembered.

The sanctions had 'ended,' but...only in so many ways.

Her family was being assigned more missions than ever and the taxes were still higher than they'd ever been. A reminder of what had almost happened. A reminder of the village's power, even over a noble clan.

"I am proud of your promotion, Miho. I'm proud of you."

Miho smiled just slightly before pushing herself up to stand. She leaned forward in a final bow to her master. He'd always told her that her father was a good man and that he would re-earn her trust with time. He'd also told her that forgiveness wasn't for her father, but for her. She still didn't quite understand what he'd meant by that. But... Miho turned to look up at her father.

He seemed older now. His eyes were closed against the breeze, as if he were soaking in the seeming peace of the moment in the warm evening sun.

His jowls hung looser. He'd lost weight. That realization sent a thrill of worry through her stomach. Her brother had only passingly mentioned that Papa had been eating less.

She shouldn't have shrugged Chōji off like she had. Now that she saw her father up close, she could see why her brother had been concerned enough to mention him. It hadn't just been Chōji's kind heart. It was his very real concern.

The village was keeping the clan in line, certainly. It seemed though...That her father was bearing the brunt of the cost. _That's what a leader does, Miho._ Miho remembered his words after one of his many stories. _A leader never asks others to do anything they are not willing to do themselves. _

When her father's eyes opened, she met them.

"Funerals have a way of reminding you of the life you've lived and the lives you've lost..." His eyes were so full of grief that Miho found she could barely withstand the sight of them. She wondered which of his family and friends he was mourning right then. Her grandparents? His teacher? His parents? Her mother? "I hope, Miho, that you do not one day know so many names on this hill. You will, but I hope it is not soon."

He stood for just a moment longer before drawing in another breath and releasing it. With one final look down at her, he turned on his hill and began making his way down toward the cemetery entrance. His eyes looked so much like Chōji's that her breath nearly caught. The same kindness, concern, strength. Even if it all seemed to be wavering. And then, the same grief and regret that always seemed to linger there whenever she was around.

His meat around his shoulders shook his he walked away. A bird flew through the sun's final rays of daylight, casting a quick shadow over her eyes.

In her mind, she saw a flash of light. Her father's face disappearing into it.

It was the same nightmare that Ino and Shikamaru constantly faced. When the final battle would take their fathers from them. There'd be nothing left to memorialize, save for their names and sacrifices. Just names on a memorial stone.

Things would begin moving faster soon. She knew they would.

Soon, everything would cascade out of control. She knew it. Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji knew it. The Hokage knew it. Aoba-sensei was in enemy hands. Fu was alive. Two Akatsuki members were dead. Real or not, destiny writhed when you tried to kill it. Now, with less than a year until Naruto returned from his training and Sasuke re-emerged from ANBU, the reckoning would come. Soon.

She had to be ready.

More than that, she had to be...

Miho nearly called out for her father to stop, to walk with her to her Akimichi Chisato and Okuda Keisuke's markers. She bit the word back, nearly gagging on it as she turned he opposite direction.

The graves of her parents were in the eastern sector.

She sat between the polished granite stones as night fell.

A bit cynically, she thought as the sun went down, that grass was more comfortable than those damn hospital chairs.

* * *

**A/N:**

It's been such a long time! That's because of...you guessed it! I'm not even going to say it. Anyway, I've been working on this chapter here and there for the past couple months, but hit a pretty stout case of writer's block. Finally, I was able to piece it together.

Also, as a note, things regarding Aoba, Genma's recovery, and so on will become clearer next chapter! This one needed to deal with a couple things before we get into the next HUGE arch. We're now entering the Aoba Retrieval Arch!

Thank you so much for your patience and, as dark as this chapter was, I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows!


	34. Part II: Retrace

"We need to recover Yamashiro Aoba."

The Hokage said as she sat back in her chair. Miho felt a nervous thrill crawl through her gut when Lady's Tsunade's eyes fell sought her out among the gathered shinobi. Team Kurenai, Team Genma, and Team Asuma were gathered. The shortage of seasoned shinobi never seemed more evident. Mostly chūnin shinobi were being sent to retrieve Yamashiro Aoba from _Orochimaru_. It seemed absolutely negligent. There was hardly any choice.

Yet, Miho knew that it was from a mixture of causes.

Miho nearly threw up when Genma described the scene. The way that Aoba's body was mangled by one of Kukuzu's attacks. How he'd watched as a snake swallowed Aoba-sensei whole as massive trees fell under Fū's onslaught. Aoba-sensei had been barely conscious when he'd been consumed, looking to the rest of the team, knowing they could do nothing. Genma-sensei's eyes were so haunted when he described it to her and Shin. Tetsuya had already gone to bed that evening, exhausted from the funeral.

"_Why would Orochimaru bother taking Aoba-sensei though? Why not just kill him?" _Shin's question— asked in the quietest, most careful voice she could remember— still reverberated in her mind as she stared back at the Hokage.

"_Who was Orochimaru partnered with in Konoha?"_ Genma-sensei shot Miho a significant look.

Danzō.

_"And what did that bastard want?"_

_"I doubt he wanted him for his good looks." _Genma-sensei had sighed.

_"How could he have known Aoba-sensei _knew?"

The Hokage let out a breath, reaching for a scroll on her desk. "It seems that Grass Country would like a deal with the Akimichi Clan." Miho felt herself straighten and she saw Chōji do the same in her peripheral vision. A thrill of nausea struck her, burrowing deep in her get, pushing her morning muffins into her throat. "Despite Grass Country's best efforts, a majority of their rice crops failed due to the storms this past spring. The peoples' pleading with their daimyo has resulted in a deal with our own daimyo, to the tune of a significant amount of money. Your father is in the capital now settling negotiations."

Negotiations. Sure. Miho felt her stomach clench. The Akimichi were overtaxed as it was, paying for past mistakes. If Akimichi rice was exported, then…that meant that the demands of the village would be outsourced a bit. That would remove the village's dependence on the Akimichi for imports, something the village had been angling for since her abduction.

Convenient, that.

She wondered, not for the first time, if this was how the Uchiha felt. When that thought surfaced, she immediately squashed it.

Miho straightened, realizing that she was present not only as a member of Team Five, but as a representative of the Akimichi Clan. To her right, Chōji did the same, raising his chin and putting his bag of chips away. He stepped forward as if summoned and Miho followed his lead, settling at his right side just a step behind.

It was so easy to fall into the mannerisms of a noble clan head's second born. Her mother and father had drilled this protocol. She and Chōji had practiced this since they were toddlers. No matter how much distance there was between them, these trained habits were strong. She felt both right and wrong standing there, awkwardly knowing that _all of this _stemmed from her father's decisions.

"_At Chōji's side, you present a strong front. A single Akimichi can be overpowered, true enough, two Akimichi however, cannot be shaken."_

When her father told them that years ago, Miho had grappled with the image of her father and brother standing against a figure in a black, red, and white overcoat in the ruins of Konoha. Her brother was scared then, but stood strong. Until their father…Until he…Miho shook her head.

"I have approved that rice from Akimichi Sui's farm be exported to Grass Country on conditions outlined herein." Great Uncle Sui's farm was one of the biggest rice producers in Fire Country. That was…a significant amount of rice. Miho carefully didn't allow her expression to falter. Inside, she felt like yelling. "As you can see, your father's seal is there." The Hokage held out a red and gold scroll. "He signed it before he left for the capital this morning."

Though, as a shinobi, Chōji would have accepted a mission scroll, this scroll was a trade deal. It required different procedures if a lower-ranked Akimichi was present. Noble clans had very particular customs. This was one of them. Miho stepped forward and took the scroll, opening it for Chōji. She was careful not to read, leaving that to her brother as was his duty. Her attention shot over to where Ino stood. Her blue eyes were narrowed, focused on the Hokage. Shikamaru, too, was alert.

Miho handed the scroll over, resuming her position at his shoulder.

She watched him stiffen. His normally kind eyes became sharper the longer he read the scroll. It was a flash of the brother she knew lurked there, after he'd tore out someone's heart. After a few long moments, her brother pulled in a breath, swallowed, and rolled the scroll back up. He held it out for Miho to take.

"Our father's seal is given. The deal with Grass Country will be kept by the Akimichi."

_It's not good. _Ino's voice entered her mind. Though her best friend's voice was calm and even, the edge of barely bridled anger was tinging it. _They're charging the Akimichi the export tax and then taxing the profits at such a high margin that it doesn't level out. _Miho took a deep, focusing breath. Vaguely, Miho wondered when the clan would stop paying the price (quite literally) for her father's actions. Miho stiffened, looking back to where the Hokage sat, observing.

A flash of something passed over the Hokage's eyes before she looked over to the assembled teams.

"Team Kurenai, your primary mission is the location of Yamashiro Aoba."

Kurenai-sensei nodded from where she stood in front of Hinata, Shino, and Kiba.

"Team Genma and Team Asuma, your primary mission is the protection of Akimichi Chōji as a representative of the Akimichi Clan in the delivery of this signed missive." Her eyes alighted onto Genma-sensei, whose expression was bland and tired and— she saw flash of anger there as well. "Asuma might be mission-ready, Shiranui. You're definitely not. Looks like Team Genma will need a replacement captain." She waved her hand at Chōji, dismissing him.

Miho followed him back to the teams, locking eyes with Tetsuya.

"And you're not mission-ready either, kid."

Miho sucked in a breath, looking from the Hokage to Tetsuya.

"Lady Hoka—"

"Besides, Yugao has requested you for an independent mission. It seems Hayate Gekko left some traps in their home." Miho thought that was the most bullshit independent mission excuse that she'd ever heard. Yugao was ANBU. She knew how to disarm traps. She was pregnant, not unable. Clearly, Tetsuya also thought it was a ridiculous lie as well. When he opened his mouth to argue, Genma-sensei reached over and settled a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder.

Miho could see the conflict, the anger, the hurt flickering through his dark eyes as he spun around to face her and Shin. His shoulders rolled forward as he tried to force himself to keep it bottled up, to keep his rage under control. No matter how much she wanted to, Miho couldn't comfort him here.

It would do more harm than good.

"Tetsuya, this is _an order_."

Her heart wrenched in her chest when his eyes screwed shut, teeth clearly grinding as his jaw worked. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Tetsuya's face smoothed out and his shoulder rolled back again.

"Affirmative, Lady Hokage." He turned and bowed, stepping back to stand at Genma-sensei's other side.

Genma-sensei rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it firmly as if to ground Tetsuya to one place. Miho felt sick watching how her teammate hid his shattering.

_Why _would the Hokage—

"So, you'll need a member and a captain or rather, you two will need to join another team." She turned her head toward the door. "GET IN HERE!"

"Yo."

Miho almost, _almost _threw herself out of the Hokage's office window.

Kakashi-sensei gave a small two-fingered salute, smiling behind his mask. Next to him, Sakura smiled and nodded in greeting. Miho returned the smile as best she could, trying not to choke. A medic like Sakura would be absolutely invaluable if they found Aoba-sensei. Tetsuya's absence from the mission made sense. Tsunade stood as Miho and Shin walked over to stand with Sakura.

"Well then, Team Kakashi?" The Hokage narrowed her eyes at the newly assembled team. Miho wondered if she'd ever heard a more frightening set of words. It took everything in her will to not turn around and look to Genma-sensei. "Your mission is the protection of Akimichi Chōji during this delivery of a signed trade deal. Teams Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi, you depart at zero-nine-hundred. Recover or retrieve Yamashiro Aoba. Get to it."

* * *

"I know you want to go, Tetsuya, but listen to me. Please." Miho was getting tired of this. As patient as she was trying to be, her teammate was pushing every single button he knew all too well how to push. Shin was of no help, prepping his own pack for the mission. There wasn't a whisper of complaint out of him. Or he was just being merciful. Miho wasn't quite sure at this point who was feeling what and why. Tetsuya was angry. Shin was accepting. Miho was resigned. "Tetsuya…"

"It was _my _teacher that was killed. My master! I have as much right, if not more, to go out there! It should be me going on this mission, not Haruno _Sakura_!" Miho jerked at the reminder that, by all technicalities, she and Shin would be joining Team Kakashi for this mission.

Miho didn't want to think on that any more than she had to. She also bit down the logic that Sakura was a medic, one that would be sorely needed on this mission. Tetsuya wouldn't be receptive to it.

"It should be me, not Ino or Chōji or Shikamaru! Or Team Kurenai."

He pulled off his bandanna and threw it to the floor like a child half his age throwing a fit. His hair fell in sweat-matted waves onto his reddened face; the scar there twisted, skin taut and pulling. The bandanna was his usual green fabric, a gift from Lee. She could see the tears burning in his eyes. There was so much hurt and frustration there. If he could just go on this mission, he could _do _something. Tetsuya always faced everything head-on. Hell, he left his clan. Tetsuya acted on his emotions. She knew her teammate and she could only hope that the Hokage was right.

Miho pulled in a breath, turning her back to him to make way for her bedroom. She had twenty minutes to suit up, pack, and arrive to the gate. And she'd already wasted two of those minutes arguing with Tetsuya.

She pulled the flak jacket on over her vest. The bear fur tickled at her cheeks as she zipped it up. She pulled out her arm guards, strapping them into place while ignoring Tetsuya's ranting from the doorway to her bedroom. His voice was getting desperate. She tried to focus on the habits. She tried to focus on the monotony. She tried to tune him out in the pattern.

"— and Genma-sensei, too! I thought we were moving forward _as a team_! He should've said some—"

That was where Miho drew the line.

"Tetsuya! Please!"

Tetsuya went still. She could feel him tense even as she tried to focus on fastening her right guard. She was always better with her right hand, no matter what training she underwent. "Genma-sensei isn't going either. How do you think he feels? Aoba-sensei is important to him, but he's trapped here. Injured. He just lost a friend and a teammate. He might lose more. And he'll be in physical therapy for months. This is _Aoba-sensei_. Tetsuya, stop it. Please."

Miho looked over at the team picture that sat on her windowsill.

Back when Koji was alive. When they'd all finished a mission. There was a kind of exhilaration caught in the picture. They were all looking up at Genma-sensei. Miho's eyes trailed down to where her leg was still wrapped. Tetsuya's bandana. That day, Koji had gotten a toothpick from the barbeque they'd visited. Everyone, even Genma-sensei, seemed so young then.

She sensed Tetsuya withdraw from her doorway after a few moments. Swallowing, she finished pulling together her mission pack, stopping at the pantry in the hallway for food scrolls. As she stood there, staring at the food, Miho tried to calm her nerves. She could do this.

Team Asuma. Team Gai. Team Kakashi. Her.

Orochimaru.

Aoba-sensei.

Shit.

It was a chilling day when the most comforting, and most _damning_, part of a retrieval mission was that the captured shinobi was an interrogation specialist. He could withstand the worst. He was trained to withstand all that an enemy could use to extract information.

But that meant…Aoba-sensei might have to undergo the worst.

From Orochimaru himself.

Miho settled her shaking hand on a food scroll, curving herself a bit more into the darkness of the cupboard. She settled her head against a package of ramen, focusing all of her attention on the sharp edges of the noodles pressing against her forehead. The stale, salty scent of it reminded her of Naruto. He loved that flavor. She always kept it here, just in case.

Fisting her hands over two more food scrolls, Miho pulled in a deep breath and held it. Her teeth gritted.

She was stronger than this. She was stronger than the panic, than the fear. She was strong. She was inheritor of the Akimichi staff style. She was inheritor of the Okuda legacy. She was a Bear, damn it. Finding some kind of fortitude deep in her gut, Miho opened her eyes and pulled away from the cupboard, pushing the extra scrolls into her pockets.

A bear.

_Be a Bear. _

Bears are strong. They protect their-

_Shit._

Brows drawing together, Miho's face set in determination and she spun on her heel. How could she forget? It wasn't like there weren't a million things happening at once, but she still _forgot_. Guilt for that was gnawing at the back of her throat. She was a bear with terrible memory. "Shin! I'll meet you at the gate in ten!" He yelled an affirmative.

Miho threw her pack over her shoulder and wrenched open the front door, looking over to Tetsuya's room. The door was closed.

That seemed louder than his raised voice.

"Tetsuya! I love you! Stay safe!"

She didn't hear his response, if there was one, as she leapt over to the neighboring grocery store roof.

It'd taken her years to control her weight and chakra just right so that she didn't make dents in the rooftops as she ran. When she'd been a little girl, she'd watched in awe as her father and cousins and uncles and aunts took to the roofs of Konoha, flitting around like butterflies despite their weight. Just like a butterfly's wings, which seemed so light an delicate, held up a large body, chakra held Akimichi bodies. She'd never thought she could manage such delicate control. Yet, now, she landed on the rooftops with as much ease as any kunoichi or shinobi.

"_You must be delicate. Not only because your chakra demands it. Not only because your weight demands it. Not only because your strength demands it. You must be delicate because—"_

_"My life demands it?"_

_"Manners, cub. Not just your life. Life itself demands delicacy." _

She landed in front of the hospital. Miho could only hope that the Hokage would allow her this. She could only hope that Tsunade didn't have a hangover. She could only hope that this was…something.

"Good morning, Emiko." Miho greeted the woman who usually manned the front desk. Emiko's expression was a dull 'what-do-you-want' that came with the service industry and too many tiring and eccentric shinobi about. "Is Lady Hokage here?"

"Room 212, tending to little Iwa—"

Miho didn't wait, hurrying up the staircases. When she arrived in the hallway on the second level, which was dim in the mid-morning light, Lady Tsunade was standing in outside of Room 212, scowling down at the clipboard in her hand. Shizune stood at her side, murmuring quietly as TonTon snorted. It was three minutes to mission departure. Lady Tsunade's attention snapped in Miho's direction, eyes narrowed.

"Get over here, Akimichi."

Wasting no time, Miho rushed to the Hokage's side, pulling the scarf from around her shoulders. "Lady Hokage, can you please give this to my _friend_? She's here in the hospital and I know she'll wake up feeling alone and…"

Fū would eventually wake up here, alone. No one knew she was here. Her assigned teammates were dead. She couldn't return to her village. Miho hadn't even seen her. It seemed to be one thing after another. Hayate-sensei, Genma-sensei, Aoba-sensei... In the rush of the funeral and the mission, Miho'd forgotten. She'd forgotten that Fū was here and had likely lost all she'd ever known.

Her friend would eventually wake, and Miho was so scared for her. Just imagining Naruto, or any of her friends, in the same situation made Miho feel sick to her stomach.

Naruto, alone in some enclosed space. Ino, buried. Shikamaru, interred. Tetsuya, Rock...With no one seeming to _care. _Alone.

A space that felt too much like an underground cell.

Miho shivered.

No.

None of them.

And not Fū either.

Miho would make sure of it. None of them would face that. She felt something snap into place in her mind and her heart. She wouldn't let _anything_ like that happen to them. "She needs to know that someone is there." Miho fell into a low bow, holding her scarf up. "Please, Lady Hokage."

Miho felt the auburn scarf leave her fingers before a hand came to rest on her head, pressing down over the curls. Glancing up, she saw the expression on the Hokage's face, the expression she sometimes reserved for Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, or others she was fond of. Miho had never received that expression before. Not from Tsunade. She always tended to look at Miho with frustration or puzzlement. Never fondness.

"I'll make sure your friend gets this, Miho. I give you my word."

Giving a single nod, Miho focused her energy and smiled, darting for the closest opening. A window in a nearby unoccupied room. It was wide enough that Miho could fit through comfortably, without feeling like she was pushing herself through a grater. Finally, some plus-size consideration in that stupid hospital!

"Brat?" Miho stopped, turning to look back at the Hokage over her shoulder. The Hokage was framed in the doorway, arms crossed. Behind her, Shizune smiled a bit. "Be careful out there."

* * *

"Noses right, Aoba is being held at a small installation housed in a mountainside here." The pug's paw rested over a position on the terrain map, pain pinpointing an exact location. "Looks like an old mine from back in the Third War. Konoha blew it up then. Iwa was extracting talc." The dog looked up, expression grim. Ino had always wondered how familiars and summons learned the expressions of humans and why. Did they use those emotions to communicate better?

"What're you not saying, Pakkun?" Kakashi-sensei prompted, all business.

Pakkun seemed to sigh, looking up at his partner. "There was a lot of blood. He put it on everything he could manage. Smart, resourceful, until he doesn't have blood left." The dog licked his paw. "Unless he was distracted, the Snake would've noticed the blood." With that said, the pug disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Ino watched as the group grappled with that statement. The senior-most shinobi took it in stride and stepped away, discussing strategy. Asuma, Kurenai and Kakashi debated the benefits of a tree-pronged attack. After a couple moments, Asuma gestured for Shikamaru to come over to their little planning party as well. Ino rolled her eyes and looked back to the other chūnins. No one made a move. With a roll of her eyes, she stepped away from her position by Chōji.

"Alright! Shino, Hinata: firewood. Chōji, Kiba: tents. Miho, Shin: food. Sakura: actually make sure Kiba puts up the tents and Chōji doesn't end up doing all the work."

Kiba let out a loud scoff, crossing his arms as Hinata and Shino disappeared into the woods. Ino crossed her arms in turn, glaring hard at the Inuzuka. He caved after only a few seconds, throwing up his hands and walking away with his tail between his legs. He always thought he was some kind of Alpha. Scoffing, Ino shook her head.

Miho and Shin moved toward a fallen tree nearby, settling their packs to lean against it. They were speaking in quiet tones, expressions downcast and serious. Ino clicked her tongue, barely able to resist the urge to enter Miho's mind and figure out what was going on. Whatever it was hung between them. Really, her friend was obvious enough. Shin was less obvious, but even he had his tells.

Just like Sai. Sai's eyes were sometimes so soulful that you could see his every emotion. Shin was the same— the hurt and worry was clear in the tension of his jaw and at the corner of his eyes.

Tetsuya threw a fit, made his teammates feel terrible, and then didn't even say goodbye to his 'family' as they went on a dangerous damn mission. Ino could've _wrecked him _for his thoughtlessness.

Ino wondered sometimes if he forgot that she was apprenticing in the T&I Department as part of her work in Intelligence. Or that Shikamaru had a revenge streak a mile wide. Or that Chōji was stupidly protective. It took several stern looks to keep Chōji from asking about it. That, Ino could only image, would only last for so long with Miho and Shin looking so…reticent.

The itch to enter Miho's mind was getting stronger. Ino instead focused her energy elsewhere, fixating on the bickering between Sakura and Kiba.

"Shut up and just get it done!" Sakura hissed, thoroughly riled.

Ino looked at Chōji, meeting his eyes as he pushed a stake into the ground. She didn't need to hear his thoughts. _Please, make them stop. _Even if he was supposed to be _Honored Guest_, here he was putting up the tents. And Kiba was doing jack shit. Like always. Ino whirled around, ready to use every bit of her skills in intimidation to bring him into submission.

"What's with the long faces, Team Five?" Kiba called across the camp, making Shin and Miho lift their eyes from where they'd been unpacking some MREs. Kiba's eyes narrowed, considering the pair for a moment. "Oh hey! Looks like you've lost weight, Akimichi! Congrats!"

Chōji was standing in the next second, body blocking Kiba's line-of-sight to Miho. Ino barely had time to grab his arm. It was only his conditioning in responding to teammate signals that made Chōji pause, fist halfway to Kiba's startled face. Ankamaru barked.

The camp had gone quiet.

"Hey. Cool off, Chōji." Shikamaru called from where he stood by Asuma-sensei. His stare flickered to her momentarily. Ino took the hint and connected Shikamaru's mind to Chōji's, knowing that he was one of the only voices in that clearing that would calm him down. _He's an idiot, man. Probably didn't mean anything by it. Hell, he might not even know._

"What the hell, Chōji!" Kiba growled, hands fisting at his sides. "What the hell was—"

For his trouble, he received a smack to the back of his head so strong that it sent him flying forward into the nearly-finished first tent that Chōji'd built. He wailed, throwing himself onto his back to stare up at Sakura and then at Chōji with wide eyes. A few feet away, Ankamaru whined. The nin-dog didn't approach, watching as his partner glared. At least Kiba wasn't idiotic enough to drag his dog into this with him.

"You should never comment on an Akimichi losing weight. Why? Because often that weight-loss, outside of battle, is due to something traumatic or connotated 'bad.'" Shino explained as he entered the clearing. He walked over to where Shin and Miho sat, setting a pile of firewood nearby.

"Losing weight is a _good thing_!" Kiba argued back, not knowing when to shut his mouth. "It was a compliment!"

Ino tightened her grip on Chōji before he could launch himself down onto Kiba. For all that Chōji struggled with his weight, he also struggled with how people mis-characterized the weight of his clan. Ino realized, to some shame, that her former self—the one from the Images—didn't understand. Not until she was older. Now, Ino could see that it was frustration that led many of Chōji's outbursts.

Not defensiveness or shame.

Frustration.

"Not for Akimichi." It was Miho's voice that spoke up. She glanced over to the jōnin, who were observing the exchange. With a nod of her head, she signaled that the situation was handled. Asuma-sensei, arguably closer to Miho than either Kakashi-sensei or Kurenai-sensei, gave her a thoughtful look before shrugging his shoulders and putting his cigarette back into his mouth. He turned his back on the exchange, engaging both jōnin and Shikamaru, who was still eyeing Kiba and Chōji.

Kiba turned, resting on his hands, brows raised. "What—"

"We're taught in the Akimichi Clan that a nin-dog is always welcome to dinner, never to comment on fur on clothing or uniforms, to always carry spare dog-friendly food on missions when a nin-dog teammate will be present." Miho said all of this as she tore open MREs, observing as Shino and Shin set the fire. "If a loss should happen in the Inuzuka Clan, we're taught that the howling for the lost will last a full night. We're taught not to block out the sound. Instead, we prepare meat cuts for delivery the next day."

Miho finally lifted her eyes, meeting Kiba's across the clearing.

Just once. Just _once_ Ino wanted Miho to lay him out.

To just pummel him into the ground.

Because he was a disrespectful little prick.

And Ino wanted the satisfaction of seeing Miho do it.

Sakura's punches and hits were gratifying, but Miho's would be like pudding with whip cream and a cherry on top. Damn decadent.

_You're being too nice explaining it to him. He should know this. _Ino said, narrowing her eyes at Miho's patient stare. Only for a moment did her friend's eyes flicker away from Kiba, meeting Ino's scowl. Miho's chin rose, as it always did when she was challenged or questioned. So freaking stubborn.

"It's an insult to say that an Akimichi has lost weight. Weight is only lost unwillingly in our clan. It'd be like saying 'you don't have any fur on you today!' to an Inuzuka. What does that typically mean?"

Kiba's mouth opened and then snapped shut. To Ino's surprise, he nodded his head. "Yeah. Okay. I get that." Pushing himself up in the tent's wreckage, he crossed his legs and settled his elbows on his knees. "Sorry for bein' a jerk then."

Miho smiled, accepting the apology with a nod. She turned back to Shin and Shino, preparing the MREs as the fire crackled to life. Ino scoffed.

Ino watched as Kiba turned away from Miho, looking up at Chōji with a grimace. His expression was thoughtful. Way more thoughtful than Ino had ever seen him. For a few seconds, Ino wondered if maybe he'd turned a corner. Maybe he wouldn't be an absolute dumbass for—

"So, uh, you look…particularly fat today, Chōji!"

The clearing was still and quiet for a whole two seconds.

Chōji was fast when he wanted to be.

* * *

Kakashi still thought Genma's students were weird. Now, it wasn't because they idolized _Genma_, of all people. Not entirely because they idolized him anyway. He'd gotten over that a while ago. After a while, weirdly idolizing Shiranui Genma became 'normal.' So, it wasn't entirely because of that. It was because they were weird all on their own.

The Akimichi— Miho— knew the damn future from a past life. He thought she was weird before he even _knew _that tidbit. While that might've made her interesting, it really didn't. It made her weird. She knew things about him that she really shouldn't. Now, other people knew those things too.

Being in ANBU kept him away from their looks, their pity. From the emotions of it all.

And her Mental Comic Book made everyone's personal stories, 'public.'

Even the new kid Genma somehow got roped into adopting— Shin— was a codependent mess of a caregiving killer. Where Sai didn't understand people, Shin understood them a little too well. What people didn't seem to notice was that the little jerk was one hell of an emotionally manipulative bastard. Kakashi wondered if it was a kekkai genkai.

Genma told him, in rather colorful language that his poor virgin ears didn't deserve to hear, to let the subject drop.

Kakashi knew he really didn't have any kunai to throw here, but he also knew— they were weird.

And they still did the whole Genma-worship thing.

The girl, with her wrapped legs.

The junior Mother Hen with that dumb choker necklace around his throat.

"Team Kakashi and Team Asuma will escort Chōji to the Rice Daimyo to deliver the trade deal. Meanwhile, Team Kurenai will go with Pakkun and stake out the mine, determine entrances, exits, forces within, and mapping the structure." Asuma laid out the plan, looking over at Team Kurenai, particularly Hinata and Shino. They nodded, acknowledging their essential role in this plan.

"_You take care of my kids, you hear me?"_

He wondered if Genma recalled ordering Aoba to do the same at the Chūnin Exams. Kakashi did. Then again, Kakashi remembered everything. Like that one night Genma drank himself into a stupor after one of his kids died. He remembered it not because he was there, but because he wasn't. Gai was. And Quiet Gai told him every terrible detail.

As if Kakashi didn't already have enough fuel for nightmares.

He watched his two teammates share a look before Shin stepped back and allowed Sakura into the "triangle" of the lower-ranked team members. Sakura clearly realized that this was an effort to include her, despite their joining Team Kakashi and not the other way around.

The efficiency of Shin and Miho's teamwork was something to factor into strategy. Genma had told him as much in his quick schpil of information (and orders to look after his kids).

"Team Kakashi will round out the protection detail as Miho will be acting as the Akimichi escort." Asuma explained. "Four-point protection with two external prongs, myself and Kakashi."

Kakashi knew, from what Asuma had told him, Chōji had changed since his sister was taken by Danzō. Kakashi had seen small changes himself It never really made sense why Asuma sounded surprised whenever he said this over drinks. Chōji knew the future. His own sister had been reborn from another world. Hell, all of Team Ten knew the future. They knew before anyone else, as children. Then, his sister was taken and tortured for that information. Kakashi would've been surprised if the kid didn't change at least somewhat after that.

Chōji lifted his head and glanced over to Shikamaru and Ino before speaking up. "We'll need to stop outside of the capital. I'll need to get changed. Miho as well."

"You can get changed when Team Kurenai splinters off." Kakashi answered. "How much time do you need?"

"Uh, three minutes?" Chōji looked over to Miho, gauging her reaction. She nodded. "Yeah, three minutes."

"Well, at least it's Akimichi and not the Hyuuga. The Hyuuga might want a palanquin. No offense, Hinata." Kiba inserted. To the Inuzuka's credit, he didn't quell under the group's stares. "Just sayin'!"

Kakashi barely resisted the urge to rub his forehead. With a (not quite desperate) look in Kurenai's direction, he tried to express his annoyance in his eyes and the set of his jaw. Hinata shifted, obviously not wanting to defend her clan while social expectation demanded she do just that. Kiba's dislike for that clan was well-known, even outside of his circle. Tsume enjoyed the hell out of teasing Hiashi about it.

Kurenai clearly got the message, interceding before things got dramatic again. "After we've mapped the mine, we'll rendezvous at the Alpha site before planning our attack."

As the meeting ended, the teams separated. Sakura hesitantly followed Shin and Miho toward the campfire. It was only after she realized that they were making sure she was with them that she seemed to settle into the dynamic. Kakashi wondered if that was new for her. Sasuke and Naruto were nearly constantly at odds, making her often the one that was middling. And that was only during and after the Chūnin Exams. Before that, it was nearly constantly bickering and an exhausted, and bitter, Sakura looking between the two boys.

Kakashi watched the interaction, making a show of opening his book and leaning back against the tree. He'd need to talk to them in a few minutes, to make sure expectations were clear.

Still, he wanted to see the team dynamic unfold.

"I may need your help getting my hair under control. Shin's terrible at it."

Sakura's eyes went wide at Miho's jibe. The bigger girl playfully shoved at her teammate's shoulder. "You've…You've done her _hair_?" His poor student's voice sounded strained, like she couldn't imagine a male doing anything of the sort. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Miho. Kakashi forced down a laugh and started approaching the group. "For real?"

Miho shrugged. "Of course. Tetsuya's better at it. He was raised in a clan that made formalities more important that people. Hell, Tetsuya and Shin are always my go-tos for getting into my kimono. Tetsuya's really good at it." Shin let out a snort before chuckling, looking at Sakura's scandalized expression. "Shin just gets the job done, but it doesn't look great."

"Highly complimentary there, babycakes."

Kakashi— the feared Copy-Nin Kakashi— nearly walked into a tree.

When he righted himself, it was to see Sakura's wide eyes and blush. Miho stared back at Shin.

"Always, _honey._"

"Another—" Sakura seemed to choke on nothing. Coughing, she regained her composure like a kunoichi pro and the protégé of the Fifth Hokage. "Another nickname?"

"Is it?" Shin questioned with a smirk and a wink. There was something irritatingly familiar about that smirk. It had the same sort of chaotic edge Genma's did whenever he got up to _trouble _at the seedier establishments of Konoha. Or whenever he went on a battlefield killing spree with his shower of needles. Kakashi decided it was time enough to step in and ruin the team bonding, if that's what this was.

Shin reacted to his arrival first, sitting a bit straighter than before now that he was in the presence of a superior officer. Miho merely turned and acknowledged him. Sakura looked thankful. "Kakashi-sensei!"

Was that a tone of relief? Was he rescuing her from the dreaded Book Club?

"To be clear, there's nothing going on here, right? Typically, we don't put significant others on the same mission. Particularly not newly-minted chūnin." Kakashi couldn't resist making the kids uncomfortable. It was too easy. Sakura shifted, looking between the two. Shin and Miho conspicuously locked eyes. "Need to know information here. Will it affect the mission?"

Shin responded, the cunning and humorous light leaving his eyes. Kakashi wondered if he made the right call jibing with this kid. "No, sir."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. Vague. What was that 'no, sir' referring to? "That right, Miho?"

"No, nothing like that will affect the mission, Kakashi-taicho."

Shin nodded in agreement.

Across the clearing, Kakashi could hear Yamanaka Ino stifling a laugh. When he glanced around, Kiba was looking pale and sick.

Hiding barely contained glee, Kakashi nodded. So, these kids did understand a joke. "Good, good. Now, let's talk about roles."

Well, weird as they were, they were Genma's kids after all.

* * *

Miho removed the arm guards and then slowly removed her flak jacket. The vest came next. She'd wear it under her kimono. Miho didn't feel comfortable outside of Konoha without it on. Next came her yukata. The cool air of the valley hit the skin of her shoulders and lower back. After hours of travelling, it was a relief. Cool air against sweat. Taking a cloth from her pack, she mopped up the sweat on her neck and along her sides. Refreshment cloths was something her family got from the capital, scented with eucalypts and spearmint.

A frivolous expense by a noble clan except in situations like these.

"How is it going?"

"Smoothly." Miho responded without thought, pulling on the juban. "They kept saying this day would come. I always thought they were bullshitting me." She heard Shin laugh a bit at the derisiveness of her tone. "How about we address the Tetsuya-shaped elephant?"

Shin was quiet for a moment and Miho continued to work, going through the motions. This process had, indeed, been part of her clan studies as she grew up. She knew how to put on a kimono like she knew how to write her own name, and perhaps every other name she'd ever had. "Tetsuya is hardly an elephant. Aren't they supposed to be smart?"

"If only he were here to hear that one." Miho returned without missing a beat. "Did he say anything to you before you left?"

"Nothing. I can only hope that working with Yugao will help. Or maybe they can mourn together. That's all we can hope for. It's…It's out of our hands."

There was only so much they could control. Miho nodded, pulling her arms through the sleeves of the second layer. She followed all the standard folds, holding the ends of the sash out to her sides where Shin took them from her fingers. He crossed them and then handed them back to the opposite hand. She was too large around the middle for her to reach around behind her own back.

"Chōji sure is lucky he doesn't have to wear this get-up." Shin commented, grabbing the third and final layer from where it hung on a tree branch nearby. "His formal wear isn't nearly as complicated." His formal wear closely resembled their father's, all reds and fine silks and heavy fabrics. The only less-than-formal piece was the armor, which asserted the Akimichi as a ninja clan.

"The fun of being a female…Double standards." Miho returned, pulling her two-layered sleeves, whites and yellows, together before pushing her arm into the proffered brown, red, and green kimono.

The top layer was ornate. To impress upon others the wealth of the Akimichi Clan. Just the fact that they had access to such silk, and that the silk was chakra-enhanced, only underscored the fact that the Akimichi's wealth ranked only second to the daimyo in the whole of Fire Country. It was a fact that was only touted during meetings like these. The size of the kimonos and large swaths of silk only underscored this.

"How's it coming?" Kakashi-sensei's voice questioned.

"Nearly there." Miho smoothed a fold across her stomach in place and reached for the _muna himo. _She smoothed it over the fold and passed it to Shin's waiting fingers. The fur around her neck was reassuring, even if this costume was way too cumbersome for a forest at midday. Shin passed the ends of the fabric back to her and she folded it into a knot, pressing it down. Turning, she smiled up at Shin. "You know, this reminds me of that mission in Moon."

"Personally, I think I did wonderful on that mission."

"Yes, that get-up looked very becoming on you." Miho pushed at his shoulder, reaching down to push her feet back into her kunoichi heels. "Do you mind sealing up that stuff? I need to get Sakura to handle all this." She gestured toward the mess of hair that sat untamed on her shoulders. Shin waved her off, moving to seal her clothes away.

She settled her arm guards onto her arms again, walking out into the clearing. "Sakura."

On the other side of the clearing, her brother lifted his head from where he was affixing his own arm guards. She saw the moment he realized, the moment he saw, that she wasn't wearing the usual kimono with the clan symbol on the left shoulder. In fact, there wasn't a clan symbol to be found on her outer kimono. Just a painted silk array of flowers, vines, autumn leaves, and bear claw prints. Even if the symbol was still in the vest that sat heavy over her shoulders, no one could see it. He couldn't see it.

Something flickered in Chōji's eyes. Then, he hid it away and refocused on his other arm guard. He said something to Shikamaru, who turned. He looked her over and sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead before muttering something.

"Sakura, you better help her hair in thirty seconds or less. That's a tall order, but..." Kakashi-taicho trailed off, gesturing helplessly toward Miho's hair. Miho just shrugged.

Sakura let out a yelp and hurried over, moving to stand on a nearby tree stump. Miho took her cue and stood in front of her. Miho was tall enough that this only placed Sakura only an inch or so taller. "Do you have a hair ornament or something?" She pulled Miho's wild mass of hair up and off her neck, sweeping it around into a loose bun, a rather large bun, at the back of her head. Miho's stomach rumbled.

Miho handed the ornament up into Sakura's waiting hand before fishing a snack out of her sleeve.

"You're keeping snacks in your kimono sleeves?" Sakura seemed to choke.

"Of course I am. It's like having two giant snack bags on your arms." Miho scoffed. She wondered if Sakura knew that her left arm guard was filled with sealed food. Enough to really feed the teams for a fortnight, with dog-nin food as well. She doubted Sakura had any idea.

"Alright. Let's review." Asuma-sensei stepped to the middle of the clearing, Team Ten flanking him. Kurenai-sensei stood, walking over to stand with her team. Shin joined Miho and Sakura, holding out Miho's pack. "We meet at Alpha site in forty-eight hours. At that time, our mission diverts to a retrieval mission. Until then, Team Kurenai will scout the area. Team Asuma and Team Kakashi will escort Akimichi Chōji to complete the trade deal with the Grass Daimyo. Any questions?"

The clearing was silent.

"Alright then." Kakashi-taicho nodded to Kurenai. "Go."

Miho turned to Shin, holding up her arm. He followed the motion, tapping his forearm to hers. "Let's get it." His face settled into the cool mask he wore on missions, all emotion void in the set of his dark eyes. To anyone else, his lack of expression may have been disturbing. Miho found the familiarity of it reassuring. Sakura stepped down from the tree stump and Miho held up her right arm, waiting for the pink-haired girl to return the gesture.

Sakura looked a bit hesitant before raising her arm to tap it against Miho's.

"Let's get it." Miho instructed, feeling her own expression harden as her brother moved.

She heard Sakura echo, but it seemed distant.

With a few long strides, Miho made her way to Chōji's side.

"If only Elder Chojiro could see us..." Miho sighed, looking over her brother. Pressing her lips together, she could seem to read his thoughts when she met his eyes. "Father signed it." They were in mixed company and, as much as Miho trusted those present, they still couldn't say anything much about the trade deal in public. Miho finally looked away from his face, glancing toward where Shikamaru was gathering his pack. "For better or worse, it was Father's decision."

Chōji's voice was quiet and even when he responded. "It's not the first time I've questioned his decisions, Miho." Miho jerked her head back around, but he'd already turned away.

"In formation." Asuma-sensei's voice called.

Kakashi-taicho's voice was low and determined. "Let's go."

Miho watched her brother's back. He stood taller than her now and his shoulders seemed broader now, but they rolled forward now, like the weight of the Akimichi Clan fell onto them. And it did. That weight sat squarely on his shoulders. All she could do was to try and help him shoulder it. She was always meant to do that, to support him. When they were little, she never could have known that it would be to face unfair export taxes and the revenge of a village threatened.

* * *

**Notes:**

It's been a while! I've so enjoyed reading the reviews that you all have left on this story! Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! We're now in the Aoba Retrieval Arch!

Please stay healthy and safe!


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